Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the destructive capabilities of the two white rot fungi Pleurotus cornucopiae (Pc) and P. eryngii (Pe) compared with the standard fungus Trametes versicolor (Tv) on beech wood samples after 60 days of incubation. Understanding of the white rot decay is important as it is necessary for the development of effective solutions for wood protection. Measurements of mass loss, chemical, mechanical properties and light microscopical investigations were conducted prior to and after incubation. Mass loss of samples was found to be 9-22 % depending on fungi species. Impact bending strength is not as sensitive as presumed in classical literature. Light microscopy analysis revealed that decay patterns were similar for both fungi. Wood cell wall thinning, fungal colonization hyphae were also the same for both fungi. Results indicated considerable wood attack by both Pleurotus species, Pc being more destructive than Pe.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to determine the destructive capabilities of the two white rot fungi Pleurotus cornucopiae (Pc) and P. eryngii (Pe) compared with the standard fungus Trametes versicolor (Tv) on beech wood samples after 60 days of incubation
The results indicated that Pe were more effective than Pc
The minimum mass loss (ML) of 20 % by Tv is necessary for beech wood after 16 weeks (112 days) of incubation in accordance with EN-113 (1997)
Summary
Wood is one of the most important building materials. It has been used for various applications such as construction, furniture, poles, and sports equipment. Non-durable and susceptible wood species are prone to fungal degradation. Degradation develops if the moisture content of wood exceeds certain limit, which is associated to fiber saturation point (Schmidt 2006). Wood-decaying fungi play a prominent number of ecological roles in forest ecosystems that affect the health, diversity, productivity, and development of their biotic communities such as mycorrhizal associations with vascular plants, pathogens of commercial tree species, decomposers of coarse organic material, and food resources for wildlife (Marcot, 2017)
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