title: Analysis of select Dalbergia and trade timber using direct analysis in real time and time-of-flight mass spectrometry for CITES enforcement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  International trade of several Dalbergia wood species is regulated by The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In order to supplement morphological identification of these species, a rapid chemical method of analysis was developed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) ionization coupled with Time-of-Flight (TOF) Mass Spectrometry (MS), selected Dalbergia and common trade species were analyzed. Each of the 13 wood species was classified using principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). These statistical data clusters served as reliable anchors for species identification of unknowns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of 20 or more samples from the 13 species studied in this research indicates that the DART-TOFMS results are reproducible. Statistical analysis of the most abundant ions gave good classifications that were useful for identifying unknown wood samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DART-TOFMS and LDA analysis of 13 species of selected timber samples and the statistical classification allowed for the correct assignment of unknown wood samples. This method is rapid and can be useful when anatomical identification is difficult but needed in order to support CITES enforcement. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
authors.affiliation: National Fish & Wildlife Forensic Lab, 1490 E. Main St, Ashland, OR 97520, USA.
authors.forename: Cady
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lancaster
authors.forename: Edgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Espinoza
mesh_terms: D035782:Dalbergia / Q000737:chemistry*; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D056727:Endangered Species; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014934:Wood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification*
chemical_list: D007477:Ions