forensic wood science: science & technology in enforcement · forensic wood science: science...
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Forensic Wood Science:
science & technology in enforcement
Shelley Gardner U.S. Forest Service, International Programs
U S F O R E S T S E R V I C E
i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r o g r a m s
Technical Cooperation
Policy
Disaster Programs
Outreach and Partnerships
www.fs.fed.us/global
Policy and legislative context Forests and Forestry – U.S. Approach
• Value and take account of multiple goods and services of forest ecosystems – promoting sustainable forest management
• Address underlying causes of deforestation (e.g., tenure, corruption, perverse incentives)
• Support participatory approaches - raising awareness and building capacity through bilateral and multilateral efforts
• Base policy on the best available science
• Strengthen transparency and accountability in the international trade in forest products.
Policy and legislative context U.S. Efforts to Strengthen Forest Governance & Combat
Illegal Logging and Associated Trade
MOUs with Indonesia and China
Asia-Pacific Regional Dialogue
Commitments in trade agreements
Bilateral and regional assistance for forestry
Support for ITTO Programs and Projects
Support for RAFT and Forest Legality Alliance
Amended Lacey Act - adds an enforcement tool
Investment in legality assurance technologies
USFS tools and technology to combat illegal logging and associated trade
• Forest inventory and
monitoring
• Timber tracking
• Wood identification, wood science
Forensic Wood Science
Compliance and enforcement – legislative and market requirements
Timber tracking and forensic support
• Wood identification
• Genus, species
• Geographic origin
• Cultivated vs. wild
• Individual
Based on information inherent to the wood –
cannot be falsified
• Independent from CoC documents following the product
USFS Forest Products Laboratory
USFS National Forest Genetics Laboratory
US Fish & Wildlife Service National Forensics Laboratory
US Customs and Border Protection Laboratories and Scientific Services
Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
Scientific & Forensic Network
Lab scientist at work.
Credit: USFWS
The US Fish and
Wildlife Service
Forensics Lab.
Credit: USFWS
Complementary technologies Scientific, tamper-proof systems where technologies verify genus, species, and geographic origin anyplace along supply chain.
Chain of custody documentation
Falsifiable and substitutable
Wood Anatomy
Taxonomic identity, not always to species
Mass Spectrometry
Taxonomic identity, geographic origin, wild vs. cultivated
Stable isotopes
Geographic origin
Molecular genetics
Individual identity
Taxonomic identity, often to species
Geographic origin
Applying science to chain of custody
Wood anatomy
• Classical laboratory analysis
• Fiber testing
• Field identification manuals
• Automated wood ID
• Wood anatomy of molecular techniques
Mass Spectrometry
Stable Isotopes
DNA
Scientific and forensic initiatives
Wood anatomy classical laboratory analysis
Depends on highly specialized scientific expertise and access to xylarium (reference samples)
• Access to scientifically sound voucher samples relevant for other emerging technologies as well
USFS FPL long standing history—Center for Wood Anatomy Research
Traditional analysis of seized material
• CITES and Lacey violations
Pulp and paper microscopy
Experts can determine:
•Pulping process
(mechanical, chemical)
•Wood type
(e.g. hardwoods,
softwoods)
•Genus, sometimes species
Wood anatomy
fiber analysis of pulp and paper products
Wood anatomy Field identification manuals
CITES Tropical Timber Manual
Identificacion de las especies maderables de Centroamerica
Inter-laboratory cooperation: Brazilian Forest Products Lab (LPF IBAMA) and University of Turin, Italy
Alex C. Wiedenhoft, Research Botanist
Wood anatomy Automated wood ID
Field manuals and training inefficient, more efficient identification necessary
Use computers and sensors to produce machine vision wood ID device
Low cost off-the-shelf hardware, open source software, central database, open platform
Hybrid human-machine learning (HHML)
Alex C. Wiedenhoft, Research Botanist
John C. Hermanson, Research Scientist
Wood anatomy of molecular techniques
Improving efficiency in extracting DNA of sufficient quality and quantity from wood products
Indentify DNA in wood – predictably located in certain cells
Pre-processing specimens can maximize extraction efficiency
Evaluate extractions
Alex C. Wiedenhoft, Research Botanist
Brook Milligan, NM State University
Mass Spectrometry
• Rosewood (Dalbergia)
• Species determination
• Agarwood (Aquilaria)
• Genus determination
• Country of origin
• Cultivated vs. wild
DNA vTI Institute of Forest Genetics—Germany
ITTO-Project: Development and
implementation of a species identification
and timber tracking system with DNA
fingerprints and stable isotopes in Africa
Russia-Germany-US
Timber tracking and species
identification of Russian larch and Mongolian oak
Enhanced Capacity for Wood ID in Latin America
DNA Barcoding Endangered Species, Google Global Impact Award
Genomics approaches make traditional
‘molecular analyses’ faster, cost
effective
Genomics provide useful solutions in
species identification, delimitation
Genomics give richer insights into
population biology
Genomics help identify genes that
control adaptive traits
DNA
Implications of accessible genomics
Rich Cronn, USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station
The way forward - collaboration Investment in R&D, technology transfer and outreach,
public—private partnerships
International Barcode of Life (iBOL/CBOL)
• Tree Barcode of Life (TreeBOL)
The Global Timber Tracking Network (GTTN)
US State Dept. “Call to Action”
• Identifying training and technology needs
Law Enforcement
• WENs,
• INTERPOL
Forensic Wood Science Application
Timber theft (DNA, Individualization)
• Suspect apprehended with with truckload of firewood.
• Determined, through DNA Analysis, that the firewood came from a recently cut stump on FS National Forest land.
• Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
• Walnut tree and cherry tree stolen from private property. Investigators confiscated walnut log from a lumber mill and knew the identity of the seller, used DNA to match the log back to the stump.
• Open cases • Economic impact increasing
The scene of the fire origin.
Using Plant DNA as
Evidence in a Fire
Investigation
A branch touched a
transformer and
sparked a fire.
In evidence: the
branch that was
entangled with the
transformer.
From which
tree/stump did the
branch come from.
Arson (DNA, individualization)
DNA Showed that
it Came from Here
Government recovered ~$7 million from power company
CDF Thought Here
State v. Bogan • Woman’s body found in the desert, near
several Palo Verde trees.
• 2 seed pods found in bed of truck
defendant was driving before the murder.
• Geneticist testified that the two pods
“were identical” and “matched completely
with” a particular tree and “didn’t match
any of the [other] trees’” and that he felt
“quite confident in concluding that” the
tree’s DNA would be distinguishable from
that of “any tree that might be furnished”
to him.
• Jury convicted defendant of murder, and
jurors reportedly found this testimony
very persuasive.
Murder case (individualization)
Trade cases
• Trade in Brazilian rosewood, Dalbergia nigra
• (mass spectrometry, class character ID)
• Trade in Agarwood, Aquileria (mass spectrometry, class character ID and cultivated vs. wild)
• Trade in Mongolian oak, Quercus mongolica (wood anatomy, class character ID)
Thank you
U S F O R E S T S E R V I C E
i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r o g r a m s
www.fs.fed.us/global