Global Timber Tracking Network General sampling guide: Development of international standards andGTTN database

RationaleThis is a guide for the collection of reference samples of trees to enable theidentification of species and/or geographical origin of woody material. It is anupdate of the sampling section of the GTTN standards and guidelines (Ekué 2014)and builds further on a discussion initiated during a workshop held in Hamburg atthe Thünen Institute for Wood Research in 2014. If you are looking for support onhow to collect test samples, see the UNODC guide (UNODC 2016).To enable the implementation of the different laws regulating the trade in illegalwood, reference databases for various timber tracking tools are urgently needed forat least the most traded and endangered tree species. The Global Timber TrackingNetwork (GTTN) is building a central database where not only the reference data canbe stored but which will also function as a sample locator. Having a commonsampling guide will facilitate meaningful exchange of samples.In addition, to optimise the use of wood/wood product identification (taxonomicidentity or geographic origin) in support of law enforcement, the guide anticipatesupcoming developments to combine (Paredes Villanueva 2018) different timberidentification methods (Dormontt et al. 2015, Lowe et al. 2016) such as woodanatomy (Koch and Schmitt 2015, Helmling et al. 2018), DNA-based methods(Jolivet and Degen 2012, Blanc-Jolivet et al. 2018, Chaves et al. 2018), stable isotopes(Paredes-Villanueva et al. in preparation, Vlam et al. 2018), DART TOFMS (Lancasterand Espinoza 2012, Espinoza et al. 2015, Deklerck et al. 2017, Paredes-Villanueva et al.2018) and NIRS (Pastore et al. 2011, Bergo et al. 2016, Snel et al. 2018). This samplingguide is written to make sharing of samples between researchers specialised indifferent timber tracking methods possible, as samples should ideally come from thesame location in the tree, from the same individual and from well-identified treeswhen combining methods.This guide is intended for scientists, to provide all the information needed to getthe most out of sampling campaigns for timber identification purposes. Thisinformation should allow setting up a sampling protocol adapted to the specific goalof the research project, the conditions of the sampling area and the background ofthe people who will do the sampling. Note that this guide is to collect referencesamples and hence relatively high amounts of samples from different individuals areneeded to take the variability of a species into account. Once reference data havebeen developed for a tree species for one or more identification methods, however,only one sample of an unidentified wooden object is often sufficient to determine itsidentity.This is a guide for the collection of reference samples of trees to enable theidentification of species and/or geographical origin of woody material. It is anupdate of the sampling section of the GTTN standards and guidelines (Ekué 2014)and builds further on a discussion initiated during a workshop held in Hamburg atthe Thünen Institute for Wood Research in 2014. If you are looking for support onhow to collect test samples, see the UNODC guide (UNODC 2016).To enable the implementation of the different laws regulating the trade in illegalwood, reference databases for various timber tracking tools are urgently needed forat least the most traded and endangered tree species. The Global Timber TrackingNetwork (GTTN) is building a central database where not only the reference data canbe stored but which will also function as a sample locator. Having a commonsampling guide will facilitate meaningful exchange of samples.In addition, to optimise the use of wood/wood product identification (taxonomicidentity or geographic origin) in support of law enforcement, the guide anticipatesupcoming developments to combine (Paredes Villanueva 2018) different timberidentification methods (Dormontt et al. 2015, Lowe et al. 2016) such as woodanatomy (Koch and Schmitt 2015, Helmling et al. 2018), DNA-based methods(Jolivet and Degen 2012, Blanc-Jolivet et al. 2018, Chaves et al. 2018), stable isotopes(Paredes-Villanueva et al. in preparation, Vlam et al. 2018), DART TOFMS (Lancasterand Espinoza 2012, Espinoza et al. 2015, Deklerck et al. 2017, Paredes-Villanueva et al.2018) and NIRS (Pastore et al. 2011, Bergo et al. 2016, Snel et al. 2018). This samplingguide is written to make sharing of samples between researchers specialised indifferent timber tracking methods possible, as samples should ideally come from thesame location in the tree, from the same individual and from well-identified treeswhen combining methods.This guide is intended for scientists, to provide all the information needed to getthe most out of sampling campaigns for timber identification purposes. Thisinformation should allow setting up a sampling protocol adapted to the specific goalof the research project, the conditions of the sampling area and the background ofthe people who will do the sampling. Note that this guide is to collect referencesamples and hence relatively high amounts of samples from different individuals areneeded to take the variability of a species into account. Once reference data havebeen developed for a tree species for one or more identification methods, however,only one sample of an unidentified wooden object is often sufficient to determine itsidentity