Wood Fingerprinting
WWF’s
contribution to
control wood
flows
Scientific
methods
2013-03-26/27
Johannes Zahnen
WWF Germany
And what is WWFs role in this?
WWF IN SHORT
+100
+5000
WWF is in over
100 countries, on
5 continents
WWF has over
5,000 staff
worldwide
1961
+5M
WWF was founded
In 1961
WWF has over
5 million supporters
Photo: © Michel Roggo / WWF-Canon
WWF Norway
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WWF’s Mission
WWF's mission is the
conservation of nature.
Using the best available
scientific knowledge…
…building a future in which
human needs are met in
harmony with nature.
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•
In 50 years almost 50 % of the worlds forests disapeared.
•
13 Million hectares every year
•
share of illegal logging is estimated at 20% to 40%
•
15 billion US$ loss for states, industry and forest owners
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Bremen:
- 8,0
Jever:
- 7,5
-7,5
-8,0
-8,5
-9,0 -9,5 -10,0 -10,5
In [‰] v.s. SMOW
18O/16O;
breweries in
Germany
Potsdam:
-8,3
Warstein:
-7,7
Dortmund:
- 7,6
Wernigerode:
-8,9
Köln:
- 7,6
Radeberg:
-9,4
Gotha:
-9,2
Bitburg:
-8,2
Frankfurt:
-8,4
Donaueschingen:
München:
-11,4
-9,6
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WWF’s role in wood tracing
• Before 2004: Stable Isotope Method already established in
the food sector
• 2004: WWF started to use the stable isotopes for wood
• Initiative of different international projects
• 2011: Involvement of IAEA to organize the standardization
• Member of the database Steering Committee
• Pilot project with sniffer dogs
• Blind test within the ITTO project (Africa)
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About Stable Isotope Method
• Nothing to do with radioactivity
• Distribution of stable isotopes is un-uniform
• measurement of tiny weight differences describing different
regions
Int. Workshop (Spanish): http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/Conf_doc_Fingerprinting_2010_sp_WEB.pdf
ITTO Technical Report (Tracking Sustainability; Spanish): http://www.itto.int/partner/id=3145
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About Isotopes in general
H
Weight 1 = „normal“
H
(also called D)
Weight 2 = very seldom
Same person;
same
behaviour;
more heavy
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WWF project “boreal” – 2008 (I)
• Boreal forests: Europe and NW-Russia
 Isotope patterns allowed to distinguish
tested countries
 Also possible to distinguish areas in
Germany
Project Report (German): http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/Fingerprinting_Projekt_-_tropische_Regionen.pdf
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D/H
http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/Fingerprinting_Projekt_-_tropische_Regionen.pdf
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WWF project “tropics” – 2011 (II)
• Project II used
 DNA: wood species identification
 Stable Isotopes: origin
• New: additional elements like strontium (Sr)
• Blind Test  13 out of 15 right
• First time combined isotopes with N-IR
analysis (distance 50 km)  14 out of 15 right
Project Report (English):
http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Bilder/Final_Report_project_DBU_WWF_wood_fingerprinting_11_2011.pdf
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http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Bilder/Final_Report_project_DBU_WWF_wood_fingerprinting_11_2011.pdf
(en)
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Current Project in Colombia
• Project until 2014
• Putumayo river
• Habor: Puerto Asis
• Strengthening wood control
• SINCHI will collect reference material from
about 10 sampling sites / 5 species
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Current Project in Colombia
Combination of:
• Stable isotope analysis
• N-IR analysis
Potential expansion of the project
• Cover bigger ares of the Putumayo river
• SINCHI: N-IR
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WWF Sniffer dog project
 it is possible to train dogs to find Mahogany
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Perspective
Fingerprinting Methods are relevant for:
• authorities to
 Control local wood flows and
 Control Import / Export (e.g. Lacey Act, FLEGT)
• companies to control suppliers
• protected areas
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German Example “Roller”
1.
Footrest – wrong wood species declared
2.
Key cabinet – only one species declared – lab found three – all genius
include several species in the IUCN Red List
3.
paper towel holder – wrong wood species declared
4.
Shoe rack – wrong wood species declared
5.
Cutting board – wrong wood species declared
6.
Tiebacks – no wood species declared
7.
Knife block OK
8.
Coffee table (oak) – oak was right; but the lab also found birch – in this
case from high risk area in Russia with about 50 % illegal logging
9.
slatted frame - OK
10. Table and chairs – OK
Link to TV-Report: http://www.wdr.de/tv/markt/sendungsbeitraege/2013/0218/02_holzherkunft.jsp
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With the first trees cut
– culture starts.
With the last trees cut
– culture ends.
Gustave Flaubert; (Franz. Poet, 1821 – 1880)
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