The SBF Department is now registered as a scientific institution under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
The Department of Wood and Forest Sciences of Université Laval and the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) of the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) have just been registered as scientific institutions with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): Canada – Register of scientific Institutions | CITES. This recognition (exemption) will facilitate the exchange of samples of CITES-listed species with other scientific institutions for research purposes. Professor Alain Cloutier, professor at the Department of Wood and Forest Sciences and regular researcher at the Centre for Research on Renewable Materials (CRMR) and Dr. Isabelle Duchesne, research scientist at the CWFC, are collaborating on the CFS research project ‘Identification Bois’. The goal of this project is to develop new wood identification methods to better fight the illegal trade of forest products and protect our markets. As part of this research, Ms. Dikshya Lamichhane, completed her master’s thesis in wood and bio-based materials engineering on the identification of five species of the Meliaceae family (mahogany) based on the anatomical and chemical characteristics of wood. The CWFC and CRMR Xylotheques were used to provide reference specimens for these exotic species, some of which are currently protected by CITES. CITES is an international agreement between States that aims to ensure that international trade in wild animal and plant specimens does not threaten the survival of species.