Moisture requirements and wood degradation of pine and spruce wood by some Basidiomycetes-fungi
IRG/WP 1406
H Viitanen, A-C Ritschkoff
The minimum moisture requirements for the growth of the brown rot fungi, Coniophora puteana, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Serpula lacrymans were near or above the fibre saturation point of pine and spruce, sap and heartwood, during 160 days incubation according to the standard method EN 113. The moisture of wood for the optimum growth of Coniophora puteana and Serpula lacrymans was about 35-80% and for Gloeophyllum trabeum about 60-250% depending on the state of decay and wood species. The moisture content of wood was increased by the fungi, and there was a positive regression between the weight loss and the moisture content of wood. The effect of Coniophora puteana and Serpula lacrymans on the moisture content of wood was near to assumed values calculated according to the loss of carbohydrates. The effect of Gloeophyllum trabeum on the weight loss and moisture of wood was very fast and strong. The samples of pine heartwood were during 60 days incubation quite durable against the studied fungi, but after 120 days its resistance broke down. The weight losses of other studied wood types were higher.