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Dynamics of Decay in Trees and Timber

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Biodeterioration Research 2

Abstract

Deterioration of wood is caused by a host of organisms including fungi, bacteria, insects, and marine organisms. The most common example of biodeterioration in the ecosphere is wood decay caused by fungi, the subject of this review. Decay is an interactive process of many steps leading to the structural degradation of wood and the nourishment of decay organisms and their ecological associates. Analytical techniques for understanding wood decay may be as dynamic as the decay process itself.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 640, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Kevin T. Smith

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  1. Kevin T. Smith
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA

    Charles E. O’Rear

  2. Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Gerald C. Llewellyn

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© 1989 Plenum Press, New York

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Smith, K.T. (1989). Dynamics of Decay in Trees and Timber. In: O’Rear, C.E., Llewellyn, G.C. (eds) Biodeterioration Research 2. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5670-7_38

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5670-7_38

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5672-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5670-7

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