The wood of every tree is different, and promovenda Vicky Beckers worked on ways to better distinguish between different wood species. This is important for our understanding of plant evolution, but customs authorities also benefit from it: "This research is crucial for identifying illegally logged wood."
WhoWhat Where
Four years ago, Vicky Beckers began her doctoral research at Leiden University and Naturalis Biodiversity Center. She studied the wood anatomy of two plant families, mapping the evolution and relationships of plant species within these families. Additionally, her research contributed to a global database for wood identification. Today, on Tuesday the 1st of April at 4:00 PM, Vicky will defend her thesis, titled ‘Comparative wood anatomy and evolution of Apocynaceae and Sapotaceae’. Her defense will be live-streamed from the Academy Building at Leiden University.
Passionfor Plants
“The 'wooden world' is quite small. There are very few people working in this field, let alone doing a PhD,” Vicky explains. The seed for Vicky's interest in wood was planted during her bachelor's degree. She took a course in plant anatomy and quickly discovered that her passion lies in plants, as opposed to other life forms like animals. “Plants are the foundation of life. Without plants, there would be no animals,” Vicky explains. She then pursued a master's degree, during which she started diving into wood and conducted research on the anatomy of ebony wood. After her master's, it was a logical step for Vicky to continue with a PhD on wood. “To unravel the secrets of plants, you really have to put in the effort,” she adds.
FamilySecrets
Vicky’s research focused on two plant families: Apocynaceae and Sapotaceae. The Apocynaceae, also known as the dogbane family, is a large and diverse family that includes trees, shrubs, and lianas. “A lot of research had already been done on plants from this family, mostly on the evolution of their flowers and fruits,” Vicky explains. “However, the wood had barely been studied.” As for the Sapotaceae, even less was known. “This family is smaller and consists of trees and shrubs with poorly understood relationships,” she adds. In short, both plant families still held many unsolved secrets.
Evolutionof Wood Characteristics
Vicky’s research on wood anatomy aimed to contribute to understanding the evolution of wood within the Apocynaceae and Sapotaceae. At Naturalis, she had access to one of the largest scientific wood collections in the world. She studied the wood anatomy by making microscopic preparations. “The wood of the Sapotaceae is particularly hard. This made it a real challenge to cut thin slices,” Vicky laughs.
Thanks to the microscope, Vicky was able to depict the wood anatomy in detail and describe and assess specific wood characteristics. “For example, I looked at how growth forms influence wood structure,” Vicky explains. “Lianas of the Apocynaceae grow from thinner stems than trees but have just as many leaves,” she elaborates. “The leaves of the liana need just as much water and nutrients as the leaves of the tree, but the water has to travel through a thinner stem.” Vicky discovered that, to overcome this challenge, lianas developed wider vessels in their wood. “In the thinner stems of lianas, the vessels are relatively wider compared to those of trees, which helps them transport enough water and nutrients to the leaves,” she explains further. This is a good example of how evolution plays a role in the development of specific wood characteristics.
Relatedness of Plant Species
The description of wood anatomy not only tells us more about the evolution of wood but can also provide valuable insight into mapping the relationships between plant species in the Apocynaceae and Sapotaceae. “The different wood characteristics can be recorded in a computer model,” Vicky says. “Using calculations, this model can essentially look back in time and make predictions.” What Vicky means by ‘looking back in time’ is that the computer model, based on the recorded wood characteristics, can reconstruct how these characteristics developed over time. For example, the model can predict whether two plant species had a common ancestor that likely had similar wood characteristics. These predictions allow us to see whether certain species are related.
Wood Identificationfor Protection of Endangered Species
Finally, Vicky’s wood anatomical descriptions also contributed to a wood identification database. Around the world, many tree species are threatened by illegal logging. Customs officers are trying to prevent the illegal transport of wood. However, once the wood of a tree has been cut, it often becomes more difficult to determine whether it comes from an endangered species. “Wood anatomical descriptions can help identify illegally logged wood,” Vicky explains. “It’s a complex political game, but by providing better descriptions of endangered species, we can help get them on the red list of endangered plants so that they can be better protected.”
FuturePlants
“I’ve really enjoyed the past four years,” says Vicky. But the promovenda has already begun a new challenge. “I’ve recently started working at a wood technology institute in Wageningen,” she adds. “This institute also works on wood anatomy descriptions but focuses mainly on practical applications, such as inspecting old wooden buildings and testing wood for properties like flexibility.” In short, a place where Vicky can continue her enthusiasm for wood.
MoreInformation
Read more about Vicky’s doctoral research:
Beckers, Vicky & Endress, Mary & Baas, Pieter & Smets, Erik & Lens, Frederic. 2024. Apocynaceae wood evolution matches key morphological innovations. American Journal of Botany. 111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16436
Beckers V., Rapini A., Smets E., Lens F. 2022. Comparative wood anatomy and origin of woodiness in subfamilies Secamonoideae and Asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae). Taxon71 (6): 1230-1250. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12790
Read more about Vicky’s master research:
Jahanbanifard M., Beckers V., Koch G., Beeckman H., Gravendeel B., Verbeek F., Baas P., Priester C., Lens F. 2020. Description and evolution of wood anatomical characters in the ebony wood genus Diospyros and its close relatives (Ebenaceae): a first step towards combating illegal logging. IAWA Journal 41 (4): 577-619. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/22941932-bja10040