"Scientists have to prove that there is no damage from trade in endangered species." This statement came from environmental economist Ivonne Higuero during a plenary session discussing "Biodiversity, Environmental Services and Biological Invasions" on the second day of the 25th IUFRO World Congress. 

Speaking to an audience mostly composed of scientists, the secretary-general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) explained the elements of this agreement and emphasized the importance of research in species conservation. "Scientific data must be transformed into political decisions," said Higuero.

CITES currently has 183 member countries including Brazil. This agreement regulates legal, traceable, and sustainable trade in wild fauna and flora species. "The convention is based on science," she said. To illustrate, there are 500 timber species with some degree of extinction listed in CITES; 97% of these species can be sold, as long as certain rules are followed. "The countries indicate which species should be on the list, give the scientific justification, and explain the reasons for trade,” Higuero explained.

She added that the research which serves as the foundation of the Convention must take a holistic view and assess risks. "It is necessary to confirm whether there are other impacts involving these species." According to Higuero, the CITES manuals have been revised every other year since 1975, always requiring scientific data and risk assessments.

When asked how scientists from IUFRO (the International Union of Forest Research Organizations) could contribute to CITES, Higuero suggested that research projects could be catalysts, since many species pass through countries without people even being able to identify them. She also stated that the studies should involve local communities, since they play an important role in conserving species.

Higuero also shared that illegal trade in endangered species is growing, and involves billions of dollars, fake documents, and violence. To illustrate, she described the sale of jacarandá, also known as Brazilian rosewood. Trade in this wood (also called “forest ivory”) represents 35% of crimes against wildlife, with most seizures taking place in China.

Communication between trees 

In addition to Ivonne Higuero, Tuesday's plenary session was moderated by John Parrota of the United States Forest Service, and also featured a lecture by Suzanne Simard, professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia.

In her lecture “Voices of the Mother Tree,” Simard described how she developed the theory of the mother tree, in which one plant helps others by infecting them with fungi and providing the nutrients they need to grow. "If nearby trees can be maintained when others are cut, we can maintain diversity and increase regeneration," she said.