Computer-aided technique: CITESwoodID for the app based identification of CITES-listed woods
Creators: name: Weerth, Carstent
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: CITES, Customs controls, Customs technique, Timber, Timber inspection, Wood, Wood inspection, World Customs Organization, Interpol, Europol, Smuggling, Wood identification, Wood structure, Wood anatomy, Deforestation, Illicit Trade, Illicit Harvesting, Computer-based, Cross-border trade, Law Enforcement

description: <strong>Computer-aided technique: CITESwoodID for the app based identification of CITES-listed woods</strong> <strong>CITES </strong><strong>–</strong><strong> the Convention on </strong><strong>the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) – currently protects 32 species or higher levels of taxa of tropical, subtropical and temperate wood species that are endangered by trade and illicit logging and subsequent cross-bprder smuggling. </strong> <strong>Germany‘s Bundesamt für Naturschutz (Federal Agency of Conservation) located in Bonn has state funded the development of an app-based identification technique by Germany’s Thünen-Institute for Wood Research in Hamburg – by the working group of <em>PD</em> <em>Dr. habil. Gerald Koch</em>. </strong> <strong>This technical report explains its free distribution, use and utilization in customs controls, timber controls and wood inspections. </strong> The app is working offline and can be found on the internet on the URL: https://www.citeswoodid.app The app runs on Apple, Android and Windows-Systems. It is also distributed by help of the App Store (iOS) and the GooglePlayStore. The CITESwoodID app is available in four languages: German, English, French and Spanish. Sources and Links for downloading the CITESwoodID-App: www.citeswoodid.app www.citeswoodid.app/en www.citeswoodid.app/fr www.citeswoodid.app/es www.citeswoodid.app/de <strong>Screenshots of the CITESwoodID-app</strong> The screenshots given here are from the German version. The app is organized in five windows. Picture 1: The home and starting page of the CITESwoodID-app. From the lower five windows there is a selection between: Identification, Glossary, Description, Tutorial, and Imprint / Legal Matters. The tutorial gives a short introduction of the CITESwoodID-app. A <strong>short video for an introduction</strong> is available online, see URL: https://www.citeswoodid.app/videos/Tutorial_Video.mp4 (English) https://www.citeswoodid.app/videos/Tutorial_Video.mp4 (French) https://www.citeswoodid.app/videos/Tutorial_Video.mp4 (Spanish) https://www.citeswoodid.app/videos/Tutorial_Video.mp4 (German) What is CITESwoodID about? Here a short description in four languages (from CITESwoodID.app) „<strong>Innovative medium for education, information, and identification of CITES protected trade timbers</strong> <strong>Computer-aided identification and description of CITES-protected timbers</strong> The ability to identify CITES-protected wood species is of prime importance in the implementation and enforcement of the CITES controls. A valuable new support for computer-aided wood identification based on macroscopic features is provided by the development of App versions of the database CITESwoodID. The database and application software for mobile systems contain descriptions and an interactive identification system for 53 trade relevant CITES-listed timbers (e.g., ebony, mahogany, rosewood) known for their use as lumber and downstream processing into products. In addition, the database covers 32 traded timbers which can be mistaken for CITES taxa due to a very similar appearance and/or structural pattern. The database and App are designed primarily for all institutions and individuals involved in controlling the import and export of wood and wood products which are regulated by CITES. It is also of use to educational facilities active in teaching wood anatomy and wood identification.“ „<strong>Nouvelle méthode pour l'enseignement, l'information et l'identification des bois commerciaux protégés par la CITES</strong> <strong>Identification et description des bois protégés par la CITES avec de l'aide d’un ordinateur</strong> La capacité d'identifier les espèces de bois protégées par la CITES est d'une importance primordiale dans la mise en œuvre et l'application des contrôles prescrits par CITES. Un nouveau soutien précieux pour l'identification des bois assistée par ordinateur en fonction des caractéristiques macroscopiques est fourni par le dévelop­pe­­ment d'une version App de la base de données CITESwoodID. La base de données et le logiciel d'application pour les systèmes mobiles contiennent des descriptions et un système d'identification interactif pour 53 bois protégés par CITES pertinents pour le commerce (par exemple, ébène, acajou, bois de rose) connus pour leur utilisation comme bois d'œuvre et leur transformation en aval en produits. En outre, la base de données couvre 32 bois commercialisés qui peuvent être confondus avec des taxons protégés par CITES en raison d'une apparence et/ou d'un type structurel très similaires. La base de données et l'application sont conçues principalement pour toutes les institutions et personnes impliquées dans le contrôle de l'importation et de l'exportation de bois et de produits du bois qui sont réglementés par la CITES. Il est également utile aux établissements d'éducation actifs dans l'enseignement de l'anatomie du bois et de l'identification du bois.“ „<strong>Un medio innovativo para la enseñanza, la información y la identificación de </strong><strong>maderas</strong><strong> comerciales protegidas bajo CITES</strong> <strong>Identificación y descripción de maderas protegidas por CITES asistida por computadora</strong> La capacidad de identificar especies de madera protegidas por CITES es de primordial importancia en la implementación y el cumplimiento de los controles de CITES. Esta nueva App constituye una valiosa ayuda para la identificación mediante computador, baseandose en los caracteres macroscópicos que utiliza la base de datos CITESwoodID. Esta base de datos en combinación con el software para sistemas mobiles ofrece descripciones y la identificación interactiva de 53 importantes maderass comerciales protegidas bajo CITES (por ejemplo el ébano, la caoba, los palisandros) conocidos por su utilización como materia prima y su posterior procesamiento a productos finales. Además, la base de datos incluye 32 maderas comercializadas que pueden confundirse con taxones protegidos bajo CITES debido a una apariencia y/o patrón estructural muy similar. La base de datos y la App están diseñadas principalmente para uso por todas las instituciones y personas involucradas en el control de la importación y exportación de madera y productos de madera que están regulados por CITES. También es útil para las instalaciones educativas activas en la enseñanza de la anatomía de la madera y la identificación de la madera.“ „<strong>Innovatives Lern-, Informations- und Beratungsmedium zur Bestimmung von CITES geschützten Handelshölzern</strong> <strong>Computergestützte Bestimmung und Beschreibung von CITES-geschützten Hölzern</strong> Die Kenntnis um Bestimmung bzw. Unterscheidung von CITES-geschützten Hölzern ist von zentraler Bedeutung für die Durchführung und Durchsetzung der CITES-Kontrollen. Eine wertvolle Hilfestellung für die computergestützte Holzartenbestim-mung anhand makroskopischer Strukturmerkmale bieten die neu entwickelten App Versionen der Datenbank CITESwoodID. Die Datenbank und Anwendungssoftware enthalten Beschreibungen und einen interaktiven Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Erkennung bzw. Unterscheidung von 53 CITES-geschützten Hölzern (z. B. Ebenholz, Mahagoni, Palisander), die international als Rohholz oder in Fertigprodukten gehandelt werden. Darüber hinaus umfasst die Datenbank 32 Handelshölzer, die aufgrund eines sehr ähnlichen Aussehens und/oder struktureller Merkmale mit CITES-Hölzern verwechselt werden können. Die Datenbank und die App dienen als visuelle (Bilder) und textliche (Beschreibungen) Entscheidungshilfe für Institutionen bzw. Personen, die die Kontrolle von CITES-geschützten Hölzern verantwortlich wahrnehmen. Darüber hinaus sind sie als nützliches Instrument für den Einsatz in Aus- und Weiterbildungseinrichtungen der Forst- und Holzwirtschaft gedacht, wo Holzstruktur und Holzartenbestimmung Teile des Unterrichtes bzw. der beruflichen Arbeit beinhalten.“ Picture 2: Glossary of the CITESwoodID-app The Glossary explains 35 botanical and structural terms mostly by help of text and photographs. Picture 3: Description The Description provides a short introduction into wood anatomy and the technique used here for wood identification. Picture 4: Identification The Identification section is the main section of the CITESwoodID-app. By help of the best indicators list (such as Color, Geographical Origin, Weight, Parenchyme, Pores, etc.) the 85 listed species are narrowed down to viewer possible hits and is finally narrowed to a result. The app actively proposes best characteristics for evaluation next. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> This free helpful little CITESwoodID-app is a valuable small computer-aided programme for mobile devices or handheld computers, notebooks or desktop-computers that should be used by timber / wood inspectors and in customs controls all over the European Union and in all 183 member states of the World Customs Organization. It provides computer-aided help for quick on-spot analyses of timber. However it cannot replace the expertise of wood anatomy experts in the customs and wood biology laboratories and their written evidence for court proceedings in criminal cases. <strong>Classification</strong>: JEL-Classification: E26, F14, K34, K42, Q37. <strong>Keywords</strong>: CITES, Customs controls, Customs technique, Timber, Timber inspection, Wood, Wood inspection, World Customs Organization, Interpol, Europol, Smuggling, Wood identification, Wood structure, Wood anatomy, Deforestation, Illicit Trade, Illicit Harvesting, Computer-based, Cross-border trade, Law Enforcement. <strong>Further sources</strong>: Koch/Richter/Schmitt, Design and application of CITESwoodID Computer-aided identification and description of CITES-protected timbers, IAWA Journal, 32 (2), 213-220, DOI: 10.1163/22941932-90000052. Koch, CITESwoodID Control of CITES-protected timber, presentation, Thünen Institut Hamburg, December 2017, URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/­329519882_­CITESwoodID_Control_of_CITES-protected_timber. Koch, App CITESwoodID - published Computer-aided identification and description of CITES-protected timbers, URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/­344854932_­App_CITESwoodID_-_published_Computer-aided_identification_and_description_of_CITES-protected_timbers Koch, App MacroHOLZdata – an app for computer-based identification of traded timber and woods, also available in the App Store (iOS) and in the GooglePlayStore. I am thankful to <em>PD Dr. habil. Gerald Koch</em> for his CITESwoodID-presentation organized by the Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN) to European customs and environmental law enforcement officers held on September 14 / 15 2023 in Hamburg at the Thünen-Institut für Holzforschung / the Thünen Institute of Wood Research. This small technical report is aming at a better global distribution of the CITESwoodID in the world of Customs Administrations, Customs Controls and the World Customs Organization.
description: Technical Report for a better distribution of the CITESwoodID-app in the Customs World, World Customs Organization, Customs Controls