IDENTIFICATION OF WOODY SPECIES FROM SOUTHERN AMAZON USING FTIR-ATR APPLIED TO ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS
Wood identification; Forensic chemistry; Principal component analysis (PCA).
"In the 'arc of deforestation', illegal logging threatens Amazonian woody species, exacerbated by the use of common names that lead to identification errors in forest inventories. After cutting, the loss of essential anatomical characteristics of wood requires macroscopic or microscopic analyses, whose effectiveness depends on the observer's experience. FTIR-ATR spectroscopy stands out as a rapid and non-destructive method for species distinction, applicable in forensic examinations and biodiversity conservation. This work evaluated the potential of FTIR-ATR associated with solid-liquid extraction to discriminate woods of Amazonian species, using multivariate analysis. Samples of Bertholletia excelsa, Swietenia macrophylla, Schizolobium amazonicum, Cedrella fissilis, Theobroma cacao, and Theobroma grandiflorum were analyzed. Collections took place in Alta Floresta/MT, at the CEPLAC experimental area, with the extraction of a radial tube from 12 trees per species. Each tube was sectioned into 5 parts to assess the effect of collection position, totaling 360 samples. The treatment was previously selected by comparing the spectral discrimination of Tectona grandis and Khaya senegalensis in acetone, chloroform extracts, and in natura form. Solvent extracts showed higher classification percentages, especially chloroform. Solid-liquid extraction resulted in more accurate models in the classification of samples, demonstrating applicability for Amazonian species."