An interactive identification key for Atlantic Forest tree species based on macroscopic wood anatomy

Abstract

Abstract The Atlantic Forest is considered a biodiversity hotspot because of its exceptional species richness, endemism, and habitat losses. Commercial logging, industrial forestry, and agriculture represent threats to the Atlantic Forest, and even though it has been protected by law since 2006, forest suppression continues and large volumes of Atlantic Forest wood are traded every year. To promote environmental conservation and prevent illegal logging, the verification of wood species’ identifications is fundamental throughout several stages of the wood supply chain by supervisory bodies, traders, and even consumers. Macroscopic wood anatomy analysis has been shown to be an efficient method for screening, although tools to streamline the efficiency of that process are necessary. We introduce here an interactive identification key for Atlantic Forest tree species, based on standard wood macroscopic features that is now available online at http://gbg.sites.uff.br/lamad/.

Keywords

• forensic wood anatomy
• identification key
• illegal logging
• timber commerce
• wood identification