Oxygen and Hydrogen Stable Isotope Ratios of Bulk Needles Reveal the Geographic Origin of Norway Spruce in the European Alps

Background Tracking timber is necessary in order to prevent illegal logging and protect local timber production, but there is as yet no suitable analytical traceability method. Stable isotope ratios in plants are known to reflect geographical variations. In this study we analysed four stable isotope ratios in order to develop a model able to identify the geographic origin of Norway spruce in the European Alps.