Alex C. Wiedenhoeft, Ph.D.

Research Botanist and Team Leader
Wood Anatomy and Forest Mycology in a Changing Global Environment
Center for Wood Anatomy Research
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726-2398
United States
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726-2398
United States
Phone
608-231-9384
Current Research
Botanical wood anatomy
- Evolution of wood anatomical diversity
- Wood anatomical flood response to seasonal inundation
- Machine-vision wood identification with the XyloTron
- Commercial woods of Mozambique
- CITES-woods
- Dalbergia and Pterocarpus
- North American hardwoods
- Commercial woods of Ghana
- Commercial woods of Colombia
- Commercial woods of Peru
- Further develop organellar microcapture for trace evidence
- Practical methods to determine dimensional change coefficients for the flooring industry
- Characterization of wood phenotype, including figure, in naturally occurring tree mutants (Populus, Prunus, Acer)
- Product claim verification in forest products supply chains and improved monitoring and determination of best practices
- Identification and dating of the wooden cultural patrimony of the Taino people
Past Research
- Systematic wood anatomy
- Traditional wood identification
- Anatomical aspects of early wood colonization by wood decay fungi
- Wood-finish and wood-adhesive interactions
Research Interest
- Elucidate the evolutionary interplay between ecology and phylogeny in wood anatomy as determinants of structure-function of trees, shrubs, and lianas.
- Conduct foundational research and develop tools and methods to improve the ability of the wood industry to comply with - and law enforcement to apply - laws governing illegal logging.
- Improve the use and utility of wood as a material by researching the biological origins of fundamental wood properties at the mesoscale and how they influence wood behavior in a range of contexts.
Why This Research Is Important
Wood is a fundamental part of human material culture going back to prehistory. We have used it for tools, for fuel, for shelter, and even (a surprise to many) for food. Understanding the biological origins of wood provides a critical contextual framework for interpreting wood evolution, wood forensics, and the modern use of wood in its many forms.
Education
- University of Wisconsin at Madison, B.S., Department of Botany, 1997
- University of Wisconsin at Madison, M.S., Department of Botany, 2001
- University of Wisconsin at Madison, Ph.D., Department of Botany, 2008
Professional Experience
-
Adjunct Professor,
Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, Mississippi State University,
2020 -
Current
-
Professor Estrangeiro,
Universidade Estadual Paulista - Botucatu, Departamento de Botanica,
2014 -
Current
-
Adjunct Associate Professor,
University of Wisconsin - Madison Department of Botany,
2013 -
Current
-
Adjunct Assistant Professor,
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources,
2012 -
Current
Professional Organizations
- Board Member, National Association of Floor Covering Technicians, 2020 - Current
- Elected Fellow, International Academy of Wood Science, 2018 - Current
- Deputy Executive Secretary, International Association of Wood Anatomists, 2018 - Current
- Member, International Association of Wood Anatomists, 2012 - present
- Associate Editor, International Association of Wood Anatomists, 2003 - present
- Editorial Board Member, International Association of Wood Anatomists, 2012 - 2017
- Exceutive Council Member, International Association of Wood Anatomists, 2012 - 2017
Awards & Recognition
-
Forest Stewardship Council Leadership Award, 2017
Awarded in recognition of my research program using forensic wood science to investigate certified wood product supply chains.
Featured Publications
- Ravindran, Prabu; Ebanyenle, Emmanuel; Ebeheakey, Alberta Asi; Abban, Kofi Bonsu; Lambog, Ophilious; Soares, Richard; Costa, Adriana; Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2019. Image based identification of Ghanaian timbers using the XyloTron: opportunities, risks and challenges
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Simeone, John ; Smith, Amy ; Parker-Forney, Meaghan ; Soares, Richard ; Fishman, Akiva. 2019. Fraud and misrepresentation in retail forest products exceeds U.S forensic wood science capacity
- Jiao, Lichao ; Yu, Min ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; He, Tuo ; Li, Jianing ; Liu, Bo ; Jiang, Xiaomei ; Yin, Yafang. 2018. DNA barcode authentication and library development for the wood of six commercial Pterocarpus species: the critical role of xylarium specimens
- Ravindran, Prabu ; Costa, Adriana ; Soares, Richard ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2018. Classification of CITES-listed and other neotropical Meliaceae wood images using convolutional neural networks
- Arévalo, Rafael; van Ee, Benjamin W.; Riina, Ricarda; Berry, Paul E.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2017. Force of habit: shrubs, trees and contingent evolution of wood anatomical diversity using Croton (Euphorbiaceae) as a model system
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Arévalo, Rafael; Ledbetter, Craig; Jakes, Joseph E.. 2016. Structure property characterization of the crinkle-leaf peach wood phenotype: a future model system for wood properties research
- Zelinka, Samuel L.; Bourne, Keith J.; Hermanson, John C.; Glass, Samuel V.; Costa, Adriana; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2015. Force-displacement measurements of earlywood bordered pits using a mesomechanical tester
- Fan, Youran; Rupert, Kendal; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Woeste, Keith; Lexer, Christian; Meilan, Richard. 2013. Figured grain in aspen is heritable and not affected by graft-transmissible signals
- Hermanson, John C.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2011. A brief review of machine vision in the context of automated wood identification systems
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2006. Wood evidence : proper collection, documentation, and storage of wood evidence from a crime scene
Other Publications
- Ravindran, Prabu ; Owens, Frank C.; Wade, Adam C.; Vega, Patricia ; Montenegro, Rolando ; Shmulsky, Rubin ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2021. Field-Deployable Computer Vision Wood Identification of Peruvian Timbers
- Arévalo B., Rafael E.; Pulido R., Esperanza N.; Solórzano G., Juan F.; Soares, Richard ; Ruffinatto, Flavio ; Ravindran, Prabu ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2021. Imaged based identification of Colombian timbers using the XyloTron: A proof of concept international partnership
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2020. The XyloPhone: toward democratizing access to high-quality macroscopic imaging for wood and other substrates
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Eberhardt, Thomas. 2021. Structure and function of wood
- Vega, Patricia T.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2020. Wood species toxicity
- Beeckman, H. ; Jolivet-Blanc, C. ; Boeschoten, L. ; Braga, J.W.B. ; Cabezas, J.A. ; Chaix, G. ; Crameri, S. ; Degen, B. ; Deklerck, V. ; Dormontt, E. ; Espinoza, E. ; Gasson, P. ; Haag, V. ; Helmling, S. ; Horacek, M. ; Koch, G. ; Lancaster, C. ; Lens, F. ; Lowe, A. ; Martinez-Jarquin, S. ; Nowakowska, J.A. ; Olbrich, A. ; Paredes-Villanueva, K. ; Pastore, T.C.M. ; Ramananantoandro, T. ; Razafimahatratra, A.R. ; Ravindran, P. ; Rees, G. ; Soares, L.F. ; Tysklind, N. ; Vlam, M. ; Watkinson, C. ; Wheeler, E. ; Winkler, R. ; Wiedenhoeft, A.C. ; Zemke, V.Th ; Zuidema, P.. 2020. Overview of current practices in data analysis for wood identification: a guide for the different timber tracking methods.
- Ravindran, Prabu ; Thompson, Blaise J.; Soares, Richard K.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2020. The XyloTron: flexible, open-source, image-based macroscopic field identification of wood products
- Ravindran, Prabu ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2020. Comparison of two forensic wood identification technologies for ten Meliaceae woods: computer vision versus mass spectrometry
- Arevalo, Rafael ; Ebanyenle, Emmanuel ; Ebeheakey, Alberta Asi; Bonsu, Kofi Abban; Lambog, Ophilious ; Soares, Richard ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2020. Field identification manual for Ghanaian timbers
- He, Tuo ; Marco, João ; Soares, Richard ; Yin, Yafang ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2019. Machine Learning Models with Quantitative Wood Anatomy Data Can Discriminate between Swietenia macrophylla and Swietenia mahagoni
- Zhang, Maomao ; Zhao, Guangjie ; Guo, Juan ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Liu, Charles C.; Yin, Yafang. 2019. Timber species identification from chemical fingerprints using direct analysis in real time (DART) coupled to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS): comparison of wood samples subjected to different treatments
- Hermanson, John C.; Dostal, David ; Destree, Joseph C.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2019. The XyloScope A field-deployable macroscopic digital imaging device for wood
- He, Tuo ; Jiao, Lichao ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Yin, Yafang. 2019. Machine learning approaches outperform distance- and tree-based methods for DNA barcoding of Pterocarpus wood
- Snel, Filipe A.; Braga, Jez W. B.; da Silva, Diego ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Costa, Adriana ; Soares, Richard ; Coradin, Vera T. R.; Pastore, Tereza C. M.. 2018. Potential field-deployable NIRS identification of seven Dalbergia species listed by CITES
- Ostapkowicz, Joanna ; Roberts, Alison ; Thistlewood, Jevon ; Brock, Fiona ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Snoeck, Chrostophe ; Schulting, Rick ; Bray, Warwick. 2018. The origins of Tradescant s India Occidentali wooden clubs: 14C dating, material identification and strontium isotope studies
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2016. Best practice guide for forensic timber identification
- Ostapkowicz, Joanna ; Brock, Fiona ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Snoeck, Christophe ; Pouncett, John ; Baksh-Comeau, Yasmin ; Schulting, Rick ; Claeys, Philippe ; Mattielli, Nadine ; Richards, Mike ; Boomert, Arie. 2017. Black pitch, carved histories: radiocarbon dating, wood species identification and strontium isotope analysis of prehistoric wood carvings from Trinidad s Pitch Lake
- Brock, Fiona ; Ostapkowicz, Joanna ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Bull, Ian D.. 2017. Radiocarbon dating wooden carvings and skeletal remains from Pitch Lake, Trinidad
- Lowe, Andrew J.; Dormontt, Eleanor E.; Bowie, Matthew J.; Degen, Bernd ; Gardner, Shelley ; Thomas, Darren ; Clarke, Caitlin ; Rimbawanto, Anto ; Wiedenhoeft, Alex ; Yin, Yafang ; Sasaki, Nophea. 2016. Opportunities for improved transparency in the timber trade through scientific verification
- Yu, Min; Jiao, Lichao; Guo, Juan; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; He, Tuo; Jiang, Xiaomei; Yin, Yafang. 2017. DNA barcoding of vouchered xylarium wood specimens of nine endangered Dalbergia species
- Ostapkowicz, Joanna; Brock, Fiona; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Schulting, Rick; Saviola, Donatella. 2017. Integrating the old world into the new: an idol from the West Indies
- Jakes, Joseph E.; Arzola, Xavier; Bergman, Richard; Ciesielski, Peter; Hunt, Christopher G.; Rahbar, Nima; Tshabalala, Mandla; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Zelinka, Samuel L.. 2016. Not just lumber--Using wood in the sustainable future of materials, chemicals, and fuels
- Ruffinatto, Flavio; Crivellaro, Alan; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2016. Lista dei caratteri macroscopici per l identificazione dei legni
- Zelinka, Samuel L.; Passarini, Leandro; Colon Quintana, José L.; Glass, Samuel V.; Jakes, Joseph E.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2016. Cell wall domain and moisture content influence southern pine electrical conductivity
- Bergo, Maria C.J.; Pastore, Tereza C.M.; Coradin, Vera T.R.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Braga, Jez W.B.. 2016. NIRS Identification of Swietenia Macrophylla is Robust Across Specimens from 27 Countries
- Panyushkina, Irina P.; Leavitt, Steven W.; Domack, Eugene W.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2015. Tree-Ring Investigation of Holocene Flood-Deposited Wood From the Oneida Lake Watershed, New York State
- Dormontt, Eleanor E.; Boner, Markus; Braun, Birgit; Breulmann, Gerhard; Degen, Bernd; Espinoza, Edgard; Gardner, Shelley; Guillery, Phil; Hermanson, John C.; Koch, Gerald; Lee, Soon Leong; Kanashiro, Milton; Rimbawanto, Anto; Thomas, Darren; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Yin, Yafang; Zahnen, Johannes; Lowe, Andrew J.. 2015. Forensic timber identification: It's time to integrate disciplines to combat illegal logging
- Marcati, Carmen R.; Machado, Silvia R.; Podadera, Diego Sotto; Lara, Natalia O. Totti de; Bosio, Fabio; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2016. Cambial activity in dry and rainy season on branches from woody species growing in Brazilian Cerrado
- Ruffinatto, Flavio; Crivellaro, Alan; Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2015. REVIEW OF MACROSCOPIC FEATURES FOR HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD IDENTIFICATION AND A PROPOSAL FOR A NEW CHARACTER LIST
- Zelinka, Samuel L.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Glass, Samuel V.; Ruffinatto, Flavio. 2015. Anatomically informed mesoscale electrical impedance spectroscopy in southern pine and the electric field distribution for pin-type electric moisture metres
- Zelinka, Samuel L.; Quintana, José L. Colon; Glass, Samuel V.; Jakes, Joseph E.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2015. Subcellular Electrical Measurements as a Function of Wood Moisture Content
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2014. Chapter 9: Curating xylaria
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Kretschmann, David E.. 2014. Species Identification and Design Value Estimation of Wooden Members in Covered Bridges
- Marcati, Carmen Regina; Longo, Leandro Roberto; Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Barros, Claudia Franca. 2014. Comparative wood anatomy of root and stem of Citharexylum myrianthum (Verbenaceae)
- Brock, Fiona; Ostapkowicz, Joanna; Ramsey, Christopher Bronk; Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Cartwright, Caroline. 2012. Paired dating of pith and outer edge (terminus) samples from prehispanic Caribbean wooden sculptures
- Ostapkowicz, Joanna; Bronk-Ramsey, Christopher; Brock, Fiona; Higham, Tom; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Ribechini, Erika; Lucejko, Jeannette J.; Wilson, Samuel. 2012. Chronologies in wood and resin: AMS 14C dating of pre-Hispanic Caribbean Wood Sculpture
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2011. Chapter 08: Comments on, and additional information for, wood identification
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2011. Chapter 07: Species description pages
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2011. Chapter 06: Identification key
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2011. Chapter 05: Basic characters used in the identification of wood with a hand lens
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2011. Chapter 04: Bloodless wood specimen preparation for hand lens observation
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2011. Chapter 03: Correct use of a hand lens
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2011. Chapter 02: Basic wood biology Anatomy for identification
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2011. Chapter 01: Wood identification and pattern recognition
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2012. Structure and Function of Wood
- Zelinka, Samuel L.; Lambrecht, Michael J.; Glass, Samuel V.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Yelle, Daniel J.. 2012. Examination of water phase transitions in Loblolly pine and cell wall components by differential scanning calorimetry
- Haack, Robert A.; Petrice, Toby R.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2010. Incidence of bark- and wood-boring insects in firewood: a survey at Michigan's Mackinac Bridge
- Ostapkowicz, Joanna; Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Ramsey, Christopher Bronk; Ribechini, Erika; Wilson, Samuel; Brock, Fiona; Higham, Tom. 2011. Treasures ... of black wood, brilliantly polished : five examples of Taino sculpture from the tenth-sixteenth century Caribbean.
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2011. Identification of Central American Woods/de las Especies Maderables de Centroamerica
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2007. The central role of wood biology in understanding the durability of wood-coating interactions
- Moon, Robert J.; Wells, Joseph; Kretschmann, David E.; Evans, James; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Frihart, Charles R.. 2010. Influence of chemical treatments on moisture-induced dimensional change and elastic modulus of earlywood and latewood
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2010. Structure and function of wood
- Riina, Ricarda; van Ee, Benjamin; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Cardozo, Alfonso; Berry, Paul E.. 2010. Sectional rearrangement of arborescent clades of Croton (Euphorbiaceae) in South America : evolution of arillate seeds and a new species, Croton domatifer
- Burke, Edward; Slavik, Norm; Bonura, Tony; Connelly, Dennis; Faris, Tom; Nebelsick, Arnie; Stuart, Brent; Williams, Sam; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2010. Understanding extractive bleed : wood extractives: distribution, properties, and classes
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2009. Biocentricity and economy of scale : hypothesis (and product) testing when wood is a part of an experimental system evaluating durability
- Burke, Edward; Bonura, Tony; Carll, Charles G.; Connelly, Dennis; Hunt, Christopher; Mall, Doug; Nebelsick, Arnie; Slavik, Norm; Stuart, Brent; Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Williams, R. Sam. 2009. Improving the performance of painted wood siding : rain screen, end-grain seal, and back priming
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Riina, Ricarda; Berry, Paul E.. 2009. "Ray-intrusive" laticifers in species of Croton section Cyclostigma (Euphorbiaceae)
- Frihart, Charles R.; Yelle, Daniel J.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2008. What does moisture-related durability of wood bonds mean
- Carll, Charles G.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2007. Mechanical property loss and the occurrence of wood decay during experimental outdoor aging of wood based panels
- Sheppard, Paul R.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex. 2007. An advancement in removing extraneous color from wood for low-magnification reflected-light image analysis of conifer tree rings
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Miller, Regis B.; Theim, Terra J.. 2003. Analysis of three microscopic characters for separating the wood of Pinus contorta and P. ponderosa
- Berry, Paul E.; Cordeiro, Ines; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Vitorino-Cruz, Maria Amelia; Lima, Leticia Ribes de. 2005. Brasiliocroton : a new crotonoid genus of Euphorbiaceae s.s. from eastern Brazil
- Ward, Joy K.; Harris, John M.; Cerling, Thure E.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Lott, Michael J.; Dearing, Maria-Denise; Coltrain, Joan B.; Ehleringer, James R.. 2005. Carbon starvation in glacial trees recovered from the La Brea tar pits, southern California
- Leavitt, Steven W.; Panyushkina, Irina P.; Lange, Todd; Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Cheng, Li; Hunter, R. Douglas; Hughes, John; Pranschke, Frank; Schneider, Allan F.; Moran, Joseph; Stieglitz, Ron. 2006. Climate in the Great Lakes Region between 14,000 and 4000 years ago from isotopic composition of conifer wood
- Hunter, R. Douglas; Panyushkina, Irina P.; Leavitt, Steven W.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Zawiskie, John. 2006. A multiproxy environmental investigation of Holocene wood from a submerged conifer forest in Lake Huron, USA
- Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Miller, Regis B.. 2005. Structure and function of wood
- Berry, Paul E.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.. 2004. Micrandra inundata (Euphorbiaceae), a new species with unusual wood anatomy from black-water river banks in southern Venezuela
- Hunt, Chris; Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Horn, Eric; Houtman, Carl. 2001. Evaluation of physical changes in wood during colonization by Ceriporiopsis submervispora
- Panyushkina, Irina P.; Leavitt, Steven W.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex; Noggle, Sarah; Curry, Brandon; Grimm, Eric. 2004. Tree-ring records of near-Younger Dryas time in central North America : preliminary results from the Lincoln Quarry site, central Illinois, USA
- Miller, Regis B.; Wiedenhoeft, Alex C.; Williams, R. Sam; Stockman, Willy; Green, Frederick. 2003. Characteristics of ten tropical hardwoods from certified forests in Bolivia. Part II, Natural durability to decay fungi
Research Highlights

Field-Portable XyloTron Outperforms Laboratory-Based DART Mass Spectrometry Wood Identification For Mahogany Family
Year: 2020
Imagine you are inspecting a wood shipment and you suspect someone is smuggling mahogany, an endangered species. You could remove a small specimen, ship it to a distant laboratory, and wait days for an answer, or you could use FPL’s XyloTron to capture an image of the wood’s anatomy and get an answe...

Fraud in U.S. Retail Forest Products and Forensic Capacity
Year: 2019
Fraud and misrepresentation in U.S. retail forest products greatly exceeds the forensic capacity to combat it.

Machine Vision Wood Identification of Endangered Tropical Woods
Year: 2018
Field identification of wood (screening) is the first step in a forensic workflow to combat illegal logging. Similarly, industries interested in proactively managing their supply chains to ensure only legally logged material also need access to such field screening expertise. Screenings are currentl...

The Xylotron: A Field-Deployable Machine-Vision Wood Identification System
Year: 2014
The Xylotron is a machine-vision-based wood identification system that uses a custom-designed wood imaging device (the Xyloscope), image analysis, and statistical processing software run from a laptop/netbook. With it, users can identify over 150 species of wood more accurately than trained law enfo...

Centennial Edition, Wood Handbook—Wood as an Engineering Material
Year: 2010
The Wood Handbook—Wood as an Engineering Material serves as a primary reference document for a wide variety of users-from the general public through architects and design engineers who use wood in highly engineered structures.