Fungal Diversity Associated with Zones of the AWPA Fungal Decay Hazard Map

Abstract

Wood deterioration, due to decay fungi, shortens the useful life span of wood and wood-based materials. Prescriptive preservative treatment is the most effective way to reduce the detrimental effects of these persistent microorganisms, particularly in soil contact and areas of critical use. A thorough understanding of decay hazard in soil contact is critical for proper selection and use of wood in ground contact. Current AWPA guidelines in the Use Category System specify 5 zones of severity regarding wood decay fungal hazard but contain very little information on diversity and abundance of these fungi in soil and wood. The goal of this work is to provide baseline data on fungal diversity and species composition in different zones of the existing AWPA hazard map. Results thus far indicate that fungal communities do differ between zones, but species richness decreases as zone severity increases. Preliminary discussion of the potential reasons for this trend are discussed.

Citation

Kirker, G.; Bishell, A.; Glass, S.; Bechle, N.; Cappellazzi, J.; Palmer, J.; Hickey, W. 2020. Fungal diversity associated with zones of the AWPA fungal decay hazard map. In: Proceedings of the 116th annual meeting of the American Wood Protection Association. Sept. 21, 2020. Birmingham, AL: AWPA. 116: 64-71.