Laboratory and field trials have long been employed for assessing natural durability of a variety of wood species, but there is a continuing debate concerning the relative merits of approach. While laboratory tests provide carefully controlled conditions for decay, they are often criticized for being too artificial to produce meaningful results. Conversely, field trials often vary widely between test sites, making interpretation of data difficult. This report evaluates the correlations between field and laboratory decay trials of 41 wood species. Field sites were generally poorly correlated with each other, while correlations between laboratory and field trials were generally better. These results indicate that carefully planned laboratory trials using appropriately selected fungi can provide a reliable assessment of natural durability or preservative treatment of wood species.

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