The Bioamazon Project, in partnership with the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB), the Forest Products Laboratory (LPF) and the NIRS ID Project (CITES CTSP Programm), conducted the course “Tropical Timber Identification Methodologies”, on May 9 to 13, 2022, at the facilities of the Amazon Regional Observatory. It is intended to sponsor professionals who require technical information for the identification of wood-producing species, by providing useful knowledge in different areas such as environmental, as well as in the wood sector related to inspection, export, forest management, authorization of forest resources and others.

Nowadays, one of the main challenges for the preservation of forests in South America is the capacity to control the exploitation, transport and trade of tropical timber species. The growing demand for wood has intensified the pressure on key species, significantly impacting on forests structure, especially in the Amazon region. In this sense, it is extremely important to develop new techniques and tools to carry out this control to achieve the necessary sustainability. In this course, thirty participants attended the face-to-face course in Brasilia, Brazil, including sixteen representatives of ACTO (Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization) Member Countries and others from the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), LPF, the Federal Police and the University of Brasilia, Brazil.

This training course was taught to strengthen the tools developed by LPF/SFB for the control and identification of timber species. It also offered an opportunity to share experiences and strengthen partnerships among governments and investigation and control agencies in the Member Countries of ACTO. The course were given by technicians from LPF, along with the contributions of guest speakers. In addition to acquiring knowledge about the anatomical identification of wood, the electronic key for the identification of timber species, and the application technique of NIRS technology and equipment, the attendees visited the facilities of LPF during the course.

Tereza Cristina Monteiro Pastore, Brazil




Participants of the wood identification course getting to know the Harry Van der Sloten Xylorium
from the Forest Products Laboratory in Brasilia, Brazil




Lecture on wood anatomical identification given at the headquarters of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)




Lecture on practice of wood anatomical identification




Demonstration of using NIRS Technology to identify Amazonia native woods




Training on obtaining increment core from standing tree




Group photo of course participants from eight South and Central American countries