Some nitrogen considerations of wood ecology and preservation

Abstract

Several kinds of nutrients were perfused to soil-inoculated veneers and were found not to change significantly the frequencies of microfungi isolation, but to have more effect on the rate of strength loss. Woods supplied with small amounts of nitrogen nutrient had slight strength reductions and thus indicated the adaptability of these microfungi to such conditions.The presence of nitrogenase activity within deteriorated wood was demonstrated and this suggested that over a long period of time nitrogen-fixing microorganisms might increase the wood nitrogen content.Amino compounds present in wood were altered with nitrous acid and shown not to upset the colonization patterns or the rate of decay. Some depolymerization of the cellulose fraction with further treatment by dilute alkali and ammonia gave varied results and no apparent decay when perfused with water.Leaching the wood with dilute acid gave a decrease in nitrogen content and this again did not affect the fungal growth, but it did prevent a loss of strength when perfused with water. It might provide a method of preserving timber used in certain conditions.

The microbial colonization of some woods of small dimensions buried in soil

“…The isolated mycoflora closely resembled the Such fungi as A. oligospora, Mucor sp., compiled lists of Sharp and Eggins (1970) and Penicillium spp., and Trichocladiunz asperum Sharp andLevy (1973, 1974), in which small-were isolated on more occasions from unsteridimensioned woods were similarly buried and lized veneers and perhaps they had some diffiexamined. Once more.…”

“…On replication this pattern consistently occurred, even after some of the experimental conditions were changed (Sharp and Eggins 1970;Sharp andLevy 1973, 1974), and consequently it was considered that colonization did not include any succession. In contrast, in other investigations using posts or stakes exposed to a soil and an outside environment, the isolation of diverse fungi has been described (Corbett 1963;Kaarik 1968;Butcher 1968aButcher , 1968bBanerjee and Levy 1971;Greaves 1972), and subsequent changes in 'Received September 20, 1974. their frequencies of isolation with time were taken as indicating succession.…”