A new technique allows for easier species identification and may help in the fight against illegal logging of tropical timbers
Identification of sliced mahogany veneers by portable near-infrared spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis is the title of the scientific paper published by the IAWA Journal. The article explains how the use of wood identification techniques and the outcomes of international initiatives such as the standards of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) contribute to the control of trade, exploitation and smuggling of these products.
The Paper from Hugo da Silva Rocha, Jez William Batista Braga, Daniele Cristina Gomes da Cunha Kunze, Vera Rauber Coradin e Tereza Cristina Monteiro Pastore and published in 2021, presents the use of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy associated with chemometric tools for the discrimination of sliced or veneered wood with similar general characteristics: Swietenia macrophylla King (mahogany), Carapa guianensis Aubl. (andiroba), Cedrela odorata L. (cedar), Micropholis venulosa Pierre (curupixá) and Hymenaea coubaril L. (jatobá) using a portable spectrometer. The PLS-DA models yielded an efficiency of between 96.5% and 100% in discriminating samples among the five forest species. In summary, the portable NIRS technology and the PLS-DA models provided a good performance for the rapid detection and discrimination of wood veneers.
The dissemination of the use of this technique would contribute to a better identification of the type of timber used and support the fight against illegal logging. The illegal extraction of valuable tree species is mainly propelled by a globally active market that demands logs, sawn timber, veneer and furniture.
ACTO’s Project Bioamazon supported studies for the development of the near-infrared spectroscopy technique.
Access to the article via doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22941932-bja10054
Published in the Bioamazon Newsletter, issue n. 17, Sept-Oct 2022.
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