A new method of timber analysis developed by researchers from the University of Gothenburg can "confidently identify the location in which the tree was harvested."

The Sweden-based institution developed the method to determine the tree's identity with the aim of combating illegal timber imports from Russia and Belarus, the researchers said in a story on the university's website.

“The issue became even more urgent after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian timber continues to be exported to the EU and the US despite imposed sanctions, by falsifying the origin of the timber. Illegal timber exports are partly financing Russia's war,” said Jakub Truszkowski, a researcher in computational biology at the University of Gothenburg.

Trees, according to the researchers, are affected by the environment in which they are grown. A chemical footprint is left in the wood tissue by the soil composition, environmental pollution, and climate. It is this footprint that the researchers use to determine its origin.

First, a large collection of reference material is required. Then, using machine learning, the researchers can determine whether the stated harvest location of the sample is correct. “We collected 900 wood samples from 11 Eastern European countries, including Belarus and Russia. We selected oak, birch, pine, and beech, all of which are important in the timber trade. By analyzing and comparing isotope ratios and the concentrations of 15 different trace elements in wood tissue, we can determine the harvest location of the tree within a 200 kilometer radius,” said Truszkowski.