Article Review: CIFOR Blog:: New timber tracking tools to bolster global fight against illegal logging

The post iss related to the new tracking method to curb illegal logging through tracing the species DNA that was discussed in the workshop held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The studies using DNA market to identify timber species and analyze genetic variation in the forest has been carried out for more than ten years. This system is coherent with the existing  EU FLEGT requirement and Lacey Act that has been debating to minimize the risk of illegal logging timber products to enter EU and US market.

What is it about?

The Global Timber Tracking Network (GTTN) promotes the use of innovative control tools based on the application of DNA and stable isotope research to identify timber species and trace their origins. The Global Timber Tracking Network aims to create a global database featuring genetic and stable isotope markers for commonly traded timber species, a landmark tool designed to reinforce certification standards and legislation and to complement existing paper-based documentation that can be easily falsified. 

How does it work?

Through the DNA and stable isotope markers as the legit information (as indicator in the assessor checklist) enter into the database, where is also accessible to the importers. This  enables to importers to verify the precise species and origin of wood and wood products and provide tangible proof that the products were genuinely derived from a sustainably managed forest or other legally harvested timber.  


How would the wood sample be?

To create the database shall require integrating data generated by different research techniques and that has been collected by scientist working in various location around the world. 


What are the equipment use to test the wood sample, what are the total sample need to quantify and how long does it takes?  

A global standard (i.e.: similar FSC standard) for sampling and lab analysis of genetic and stable isotope data shall be establish in order to ensure the technique used to gather and analyze the data are repeatable and verifiable. 


Any successful pilot project? 

To date, just a handful of projects have created individual databases for certain timber species. 

Malaysia

The Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) established an early database of tropical timber species using DNA fingerprinting data. The FRIM database has genetic data for:

1. chengal (Neobalanocarpus heimii) -IUCN Red List
2. ramin (Gonystylus bancanus) -IUCN Red List
3. kempas (Koompassia malaccensis) (Traded Timber Species) (WIP) and 
4. meranti bukit (Shorea platyclados)  (Traded Timber Species) (WIP)

Currently, the GTTN database shall be test whether the data generated by analyses of wood samples match the stated species and origin on the product label.

Africa

Double Helix will design and implement DNA Chain-of-Custody systems for several supply chains. To achieve this we are actively working with government partners, concession owners/managers and community groups. The project will create DNA barcodes for twenty important African timber species and will generate a map of genetic variation across the different participating countries for three commercial tree species: Ayou (Triplochiton scleroxylon), Iroko (Milicia sp.) and Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum). By the end of the project, the trade and Governments will have the ability to verify the species and origin of harvest of these timber species. It will provide a scientific, cost-effective method to verify claims and other supply chain documentation, enforce legislation and exclude illegally harvested timber from being laundered through legitimate supply chains. The genetic reference databases will be held by Bioversity International in Malaysia, the international coordination office for tree identification and origin assignment. Below are the countries covered under this project.

What are the major challenges or obstacle?

In Brazil, a key timber-producing nation believed to have the world’s greatest biodiversity of plant species, correctly identifying timber species is especially challenging, said Milton Kanashiro, a research geneticist at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). “Identifying species is a big problem in Brazil. Different species of trees often end up getting classified under one species because it can be difficult to properly identify so many species in the field,” Kanashiro said. “If species are not identified, we could be losing biodiversity without knowing it. And if you don’t know you are losing a species, you cannot properly protect it.”

My opinion of the major challenges for DNA Timber Tracking:

1. Reaching agreement on standards may be the most difficult aspect of making the timber tracking system operational.
2. The research takes time, have not fully define total isotopes needed for isotope marking
3. At present only covers endanger species, and several tree species have overlaps of isotopes marker.
4. Questionable about the type of equipment needed for the importer or the require knowledge by the importer to ensure they understand the system and also does not take a very long time to verify the legality of the timber in the port.

IMHO: Google Earth & Illegal Logging Monitoring in Malaysia

Google Earth. Just downloaded today after reading an article about it in the Star newspaper. What caught my attention while reading this article is that Google Earth can be use to monitor illegal logging, quoted as below:

 “There’s a useful function which allows us to do a time lapse observation by comparing older satellite images with recent ones,” he told The Star yesterday. Lim Teck Wyn, a forestry consultant, said this helped to detect recent logging activities as the change in forest mass would be obvious. However, he stressed that there was no substitute for ground checks as Google Earth images are not al­­ways recent or detailed. WWF-Malaysia chief executive officer and executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said Google Earth was helpful in calculating an overview of forest loss or land changes. “It helps us to see whether the Go­­vernment is keeping its pledge to maintain 50% of the country’s land mass under forest cover,” he said.

IMHO, Google Earth does not facilitate to detect recent logging activities as the change in forest mass would be obvious. For instance, illegal logging of an area larger than 10 hectares in Malaysia is highly unlikely to happen without the knowledge of either local authorities, forest licensee or even to the public. Because it would need more than just chainsaw and a couple of men to go into the forest and cut up some trees. Besides that, current logistics and roads to the forest area are limited and regularly checked. Although in the article it did mentioned that there was no substitute to ground check as Google Earth images are not always recent or detailed; but the verdict here is  the article gave a more general implications that  illegal logging can be monitor regularly with Google Earth. 

What actually  contributes to illegal logging in Malaysia are not the massive or large operation that can be capture by google earth, rather it occur in a smaller scale, patches, or lack of monitoring harvesting contractors to concurrently harvest the area exceeding the legal boundaries. 

I wouldn't disagree that Google Earth can be use to monitor forest mass or land changes. As stated in the article, it can be a tool for the government to monitor that there are remaining 50% of forest cover in Malaysia.  What would be the catch is that agricultural or plantation land area such as rubber and oil palm contributes as part of the 50 % of the forest cover in Malaysia. 

So much of changes in Google Earth since the last time I use it. It would be a good database to work on for TNC Lite or Arc View for forest licensee to update regularly their land use map. A little tour I did when I downloaded Google Earth. When you open Google Earth, there are 2 columns; the one on the right  shows a good panoramic visual to the site you wish you see. In the right column, there are 2 functions, one is a time lapse observation where you can compare recent satellite images and the older ones and the second one is an eye alteration notification that tells you the distance between your eye level and the view on the map.  On the left side column, you can opt to view features (or primary database) such as borders, labels, places, photos, panoramio etc. You can read more about the features in the wikipedia.

I do not really understand how the time lapse observation works with the interval of one hour. Take for example, I print screen an image of Sabah at 2.40pm and another at 3.59 pm. There are virtually no difference between the image captured at 2.40pm and 3.59pm. Not even the cloud distribution.

2.40 pm

3.59 pm

Unless, you noticed the difference, can you tell me? ;)