Plant DNA barcoding and tracking illegally logged timber
Andrew Lowe | Hugh Cross | Craig Costion
DNA barcoding – the use of short, standardised DNA sequences for species discovery and identification – has been heralded as a revolution for biological identification and species discovery that will enable any biological material containing DNA to be accurately identified by anybody, anywhere. The applications of such a system are broad, from early biosecurity warning systems, through rapid biodiversity and ecosystem assessments to tracking illegally logged timber.
Current Research Projects
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Two separate DNA barcoding projects have been initiated in collaboration with many Australian and International researchers and institutes. The first, the Tree Barcoding of Life Project (TreeBoL), is an international project designed to coordinate efforts to determine genetic fingerprints for all tree species in the world. This group have coordinated the Australian node of this project, and have received funding from Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) and the International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL). A second initiate is also being coordinated by this group; the Grass Barcoding of Life Project (GrassBoL), aiming to coordinate national and international initiatives to DNA barcode all the grasses of the world. GrassBoL includes several researchers committed to the effort from around Australia, as well as Canada, UK, China, and the United States, and will be the subject of a special workshop at the International Barcoding Meeting in Mexico City, in November 2009. In the laboratory, preliminary data on DNA barcodes for selected grass taxa, particularly Lachnagrostis, has begun.
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 | Tracking illegally logged timber – Hugh Cross |
We are developing a test case of DNA barcoding for application to track illegally logged timber. Illegal logging continues to be one of the major causes of deforestation and forest degradation, with between 14 and 16 million hectares of forest lost each year. At the same time, illegally sourced timber competes with sustainably produced timber and causes market distortions. The ability to identify species from timber products using DNA barcoding techniques would help reduce the flow of endangered species into the timber market. Furthermore for particularly valuable timber species, the ability to develop population or regional-level DNA barcodes, to verify that individuals come from a sustainably harvested source, would provide a mechanism to police illegally harvested timber products. We aim to develop a combination of methods (extraction of DNA from a range of processed timber products, verify genetic structure between species and across populations, and statistical methods that can be used to probabilistically verify or exclude source species or populations) for tracking illegally logged timber species. | |
Funding:
Thomas D, Chew FT, Lowe AJ (2009-2010) DNA VerifiedTM Timber Origin. Proof of Concept stage, Technology Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme, Singaporean Government (SING$250K)
Lowe AJ, Crayn D, Udovicic F, Weston P, Byrne M, Cross H, Biffin E (May 2009) Genomic approaches to DNA barcoding Australasian trees at the species boundaries. Australian Research Council Linkage ($500K). Submitted.
Relevant publications:
Speirs A, Loy T, McConnachie G, Lowe AJ. Genotyping the Mary Rose: the hunt for DNA in a 16th century flagship. In Archaeological Science Under a Microscope: Studies in Residue and DNA Analysis in Honour of Tom Loy. Eds. Haslam, Robertson, Crowther, Kirkwood and Nugent. In Press.
Lowe AJ (2008) Can we use DNA to identify the geographic origin of tropical timber? In: Proceedings of the international workshop “Fingerprinting methods for the identification of timber origins” October 8-9 2007, Bonn/Germany (Ed. Bernd Degen). Landbauforschung, vTI Agriculture and Forestry Research, Sonderheft 321, Germany. Pp 15-19.
Lowe A, Munro RC, Samuel S, Cottrell J (2004) The utility and drawbacks of chloroplast DNA for identifying native British oak stands. Forestry. 77: 335-347.
Colpaert N; Lowe AJ, and 4 others (2005) Sampling tissue for DNA analysis of trees: trunk cambium as an alternative to canopy leaves. Silvae Genetica 54: 265-269.
