Biodegrading effects of some rot fungi on <i>Pinus caribaea</i> wood

Abstract

Wood samples were collected from a ten-year old plantation of Pinus caribaea (morelet) in Ijaiye Forest Reserve, 38 km northwest of Ibadan, Nigeria. The wood samples were inoculated separately with two
species of white-rot fungi; Corioliopsis polyzona and Pleurotus squarrosulus, and two species of brownrot fungi; Lentinus lepideus and Gleophyllum, striatum. Wood weight loss due to biodegradation varied
from 1.5 – 48.1% for Corioliopsis polyzona, 9.6 – 58.0% for Pleurotus squarrosulus, 40.4 – 78.1% for Lentinus lepideus and 6.8 – 49.2% for Gleophyllum striatum degrading activities. The mode of wood
degradation was peculiar with each fungus. Wood decay varied along the tree bole but was not related to height above the ground. The results indicated that biodegradation by rot fungi differs in intensity
according to the fungus species and this suggested that preservative impregnation and retention may be the best way to control the rots to make P. caribaea a utility wood.