Pterocarpus wood identification by independent and complementary analysis of DART-TOFMS, microscopic anatomy, and fluorescence spectrometry

What is it about?

Attention to illegal logging practices and demanding policies in transnational timber trade has driven the need for species-level identification of timber. This study approaches species identification using a combination of complementary methods: Direct Analysis in Real Time Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (DART-TOFMS), wood anatomy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. These methods are applied in complementation with the goal of identifying seven commercially and environmentally significant species in Pterocarpus; including P. erinaceus (CITES Appendix II), P. santalinus (CITES Appendix II), P. tinctorius (CITES Appendix II), P. indicus, P. macrocarpus, P. dalbergioides, and P. soyauxii. Illegal logging afflicts many countries and utilizing multiple wood identification methods aids the enforcement of regulations aimed at protecting endangered timber species.

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