Despite logging bans in many of the world’s endangered forests, some companies have not stopped logging in those areas and lie about the origin of the timber. , soon, such groups may fail due to the chemical fingerprints of the wood.
One of the things that makes verification of timber fraud particularly difficult is the fact that timber often transits multiple countries before being sold. So even if the seller is located in a country where logging is permitted, the timber may have originally come from another country where the timber is protected.
With this question in mind, scientists at Wageningen University and Research Center in the Netherlands set out to collect wood samples from a total of 991 timbers in Central Africa and Borneo. Samples were taken from three of his commonly harvested tree species (Red Meranti, Azove and Tali).
Pierre Quecheux
The researchers then used a mass spectrometer to analyze the chemical composition of each of these samples, measuring the proportions of elements such as calcium and magnesium. It turns out that each species of tree has a ‘chemical fingerprint’ unique to its geographical region of origin. In fact, he even trees of one species, just 50 km (31 mi) apart from each other, had different fingerprints.
Scientists then developed a machine-learning-based algorithm to match the fingerprints of wood samples with those already filed for trees of that species in specific regions. When tested by the researchers, the algorithm ranges from 86% to 98% accuracy in identifying timber from specific parts of Central Africa, and 88% accuracy in identifying timber from Borneo. It has been proven. In independently conducted blind tests, he had an accuracy of 70% to 72% in Central Africa, but these numbers could improve as the technology develops further.
The research is being conducted as part of the Timtrace project, which also includes universities and research institutes in Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Indonesia.Described in a paper recently published in the journal environmental research letter.
Source: Wageningen University & Research
