CBD COP11: Forest forensics will bring illegal loggers justice

CBD COP11: Forest forensics will bring illegal loggers justice

Rio Convention Pavilion TV, CBD COP11 (12/10/2012) – Judy Loo, Theme Leader of the Forest Genetic Resources Programme at Bioversity International, discusses the importance of trees and Bioversity’s latest projects seeking to protect them.

Loo explains that Bioversity International are the co-organisers of Tree Diversity Day, seeking to raise awareness of the role of trees both as elements of biodiversity themselves and as habitats for a vast array of other organisms.

Loo also emphasises the importance of trees for the wellbeing of people.

Loo outlines her team’s latest project, seeking to facilitate the use of DNA and isotope markers to track illegally harvested timber. She explains that they are bringing together poorly connected research projects to create a database of special or endangered tree species that can be used by accredited labs to check timber is of the species claimed by loggers and to check where that tree originated. Loo is excited for the potential this has to crack down on the illegal timber trade.