wood decay
Fungal lumber breakdown
Wood decay is the decomposition of wood by fungi, bacteria, or other organisms that break down cellulose and lignin.
It occurs when moisture allows microorganisms to colonize the wood: The inspector found wood decay in the basement joists.
Brown rot, white rot, and soft rot are the main types, each leaving characteristic patterns.
Wood decay weakens structural integrity and is a major concern in construction and forestry.
- white rotFungal wood decomposition
- fallen logTree lying where it dropped
- tree stumpCut trunk remnant
- myceliumFungal filament network
- fungiSpore-reproducing decomposers
brown rot · punky · decomposer · oxidation · conk · hyphae · moisture content · mold · rot · habitat creation · nurse log · hydrolysis · mushroom · damp · earthy · bracket · soft · humidity levels
- forest ecologytree, decomposers, canopy, forest floor, understory
- decomposersfungi, decomposers, decomposer, mushrooms, earthworms
- tree problemscrack, dieback, rot, wound, scar
- fungal ecologymycelium, mycorrhizae, decomposers, soil fungi, fungal networks
- tree diseasescanker, root rot, blight, dieback, Dutch elm disease
- vine problemspowdery mildew, downy mildew, botrytis, black rot, esca
material transformation type
wood decaypetrification
Becoming rock-like
fossilization · mineralization · lignification · calcification