10th International Training School in Quantitative Wood Anatomy using ROXAS – From Samples to Data organized by the TESAF department of Padova University and the WSL Dendrosciences Group.
- Date: 22 - 28 June 2025
- Place: Centro Studi Ambiente Alpino, San Vito di Cadore (BL), Italy (https://intra.tesaf.unipd.it/sanvito/)
- Fee: 800 Euro including training school fee, full board accommodation for 6 nights (room sharing required) and teaching material.
- Registration (deadline: 4 May): https://shorturl.at/VsRDI
- Instructors: Angela Luisa Prendin, Daniele Castagneri, Arturo Pacheco Solana (University of Padova, Italy), Alan Crivellaro (University of Torino, Italy), Georg von Arx (WSL, Switzerland)
Anybody interested in quantitative wood anatomy is invited, including researchers, students and technicians of all levels of experience. Participation will be limited to a maximum of 20 people (first come first served).
We will provide the participants with the necessary skills to produce high-quality anatomical data from wood samples. The program will include ample time for supervised training. The following topics will be covered:
- Stem anatomical features in angiosperms and gymnosperms
- Anatomical sample preparation using rotary microtome, sledge microtome and surface preparation (woody and non-woody tissues)
- Staining and preparation of permanent slides
- Creating high-quality digital images of entire samples
- Introduction to the image analysis tool ROXAS AI v0.X
- Quantification of anatomical features using ROXAS AI
- Data processing for intra-ring analyses
- Example of applications of quantitative wood anatomy in environmental research
The focus will be on anatomical measurements related to conduits (size, cell wall thickness, vessel topology), since they are most commonly used in research. But, we will also consider covering the quantification of other anatomical traits like cells in the phloem, ray parenchyma or resin ducts if there is interest.
Please note: ROXAS AI is still a work in progress. We are confident that we will be able to show a first functional version that can be used for data production, but will not yet have the full functionality of classic ROXAS. While we will build the course on ROXAS AI, we will illustrate any missing elements using classic ROXAS.
Please do not hesitate to contact us (angelaluisa.prendin(at)unipd.it, daniele.castagneri(at)unipd.it, alan.crivellaro(at)unito.it, or georg.vonarx(at)wsl.ch) with any questions.