The Soft Rot Fungi: Their Mode of Action and Significance in the Degradation of Wood

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the soft rot fungi, its histology, technique used for study, and modes of action are discussed. The term “soft rot” is used to designate any instance of the characteristic penetration and growth of hyphae within the secondary cell walls of wood whether or not softening of the surface is evident. It is caused by a number of micro-fungi—that is, members of the Ascomycetes and some Fungi Imperfecti. Soft rot appears to occur in all old timber which has been exposed to moist conditions. The discovery that fungi other than Basidiomycetes were capable of degrading wood, especially under conditions which normally do not favor attack by Basidiomycetes, has aroused considerable interest and has led to comparisons of the properties of soft rot with the two characteristic Basidiomycetg rots: “white rot” and “brown rot”. Particular attention has been given to the possible chemical nature of the degradation process and to the mechanical properties of wood undergoing fungal attack. Microscopically, soft rot is generally quite different from either a white rot or a brown rot.