9th 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: 16 - 22 June 2024
- Place: Centro Studi Ambiente Alpino, San Vito di Cadore (BL), Italy (https://intra.tesaf.unipd.it/sanvito/)
- Fee: 750 Euro including training school fee, full board accommodation for 6 nights (room sharing required) and teaching material.
- Registration (deadline: 5 May): https://bit.ly/3NrHAoY
- Instructors: Angela Luisa Prendin, Daniele Castagneri (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
- Quantification of anatomical features using ROXAS
- Glimpse of the upcoming 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 cells in the phloem and ray parenchyma if there is interest.
Please note: ROXAS is currently being re-worked into a stand-alone, AI-based tool. However, many concepts and general steps will remain the same. While we will mainly use the traditional ROXAS for the introduction into image analysis and training, we will take these ongoing developments into account when planning the week and offer a glimpse of the upcoming ROXAS AI.
Please do not hesitate to contact us (daniele.castagneri(at)unipd.it, angelaluisa.prendin(at)unipd.it or georg.vonarx(at)wsl.ch) with any questions.