Forensic discrimination of wood species from the Amazon region to identify geographic origin

• Grant number: 22/16919-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Elisabete Aparecida de Nadai Fernandes
• Grantee: Gabriele Rossini Moreira
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is a country of continental dimensions covering different biomes, such as the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pantanal and Pampa, distributed over 8.5 million km2. Representing about 1/3 of tropical forests, the Amazon is home to the greatest biodiversity on the planet, which makes it essential for maintaining environmental services. The extraction and transformation of wood has been economically relevant for Brazil, with the country among the ten largest world producers of forest articles. It is estimated that 80% of the annual extraction of wood, such as ipe, maçaranduba and cumaru, is carried out illegally. Native trees such as ipe, mogno and jacaranda top the list of the most sought-after hardwoods in other countries, with more than 90% of these trees destined for the foreign market. The main areas affected by illegal deforestation are located in the states of Pará, Amazonas, Rondônia and Mato Grosso. Illegal logging causes the destruction of biodiversity, reduction of environmental services that even impact agricultural activities, causing economic losses and international sanctions. Chemical patterns of wood from different regions of the Amazon will be investigated to identify intrinsic characteristics that can act as mechanisms for traceability. Analytical techniques of high metrological rigor, such as NAA, TQ-ICP-MS and HPLC, will be used to obtain chemical profiles. Univariate and multivariate chemometric techniques and classification algorithms based on artificial intelligence will be used for statistical treatment of the data. A database of the chemical composition of wood species from the Amazon will be generated, providing subsidies for optimizing procedures for traceability and transparency of production processes.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MOREIRA, GABRIELE R.; FERNANDES, ELISABETE A. DE NADAI; BACCHI, MARCIO A.; GONZAGA, CLAUDIO L.; DE LIMA, ROBSON C.. Elemental profile of Ipe species to support timber tracing in Amazon Rainforest. TREES FORESTS AND PEOPLE, v. 18, p. 5-pg., 2024-12-01. (22/12732-5, 22/16919-2)