Tree Biology & Mechanics: Decay

Question 1

process of degradation by microorganisms.

Answer 1

Decay

Question 2

including yeasts, molds, mushrooms, and smuts. Typically multicellular, saprophytic, or parasitic and lacking vascular tissue and chlorophyll. Reproduces vegetatively and by various types of spores borne in fruiting bodies.

Answer 2

Fungus (pl. fungi)

Question 3

fruiting body or nonfruiting body (sterile) of a fungus. Often associated with decay.

Answer 3

Conk

Question 4

the fruiting body of a decay fungus.

Answer 4

Bracket

Question 5

organism that lives on and may act to decay dead organic matter.

Answer 5

Saprophyte

Question 6

causal agent of disease. Usually refers to microorganisms.

Answer 6

Pathogen

Question 7

outer wood (xylem) that is active in longitudinal transport of water and minerals.

Answer 7

Sapwood

Question 8

open or closed hollow within a tree stem, branch, or root, usually associated with decay.

Answer 8

Cavity

Question 9

fungal decay of wood in which both cellulose and lignin are broken down.

Answer 9

White rot

Question 10

increased wood growth in the area near or where the trunk and roots come together.

Answer 10

Basal swelling

Question 11

decay of plant tissues characterized by the breakdown of tissues within the cell walls.

Answer 11

Soft rot

Question 12

the breakdown or separation of a substance into simpler substances.

Answer 12

Decomposition

Question 13

wood response of a tree to microorganisms, including bacteria and non-decay-causing fungi, resulting in dead, darkened wood with little strength.

Answer 13

Discoloration

Question 14

natural defense process in trees by which chemical and physical boundaries are created that act to limit the spread of disease and decay organisms.

Answer 14

Compartmentalization of Decay In Trees (CODIT)

Question 15

natural boundary formed chemically within a tree to separate damaged wood from existing healthy wood. Important in the process of compartmentalization.

Answer 15

Reaction zone

Question 16

a waxy substance present in some cell walls.

Answer 16

Suberin

Question 17

wood decay inside a tree that extends longitudinally up and down a stem or through a branch.

Answer 17

Column of decay

Question 18

decay located in the roots; root decay is usually developed from the bottom up, and crown symptoms may or may not be visible.

Answer 18

Root rot

Question 19

a root-like aggregation of fungal hyphae.

Answer 19

Rhyzomorph

Question 20

any of several types of fungal decay of tree heartwood, often beginning with infected wounds in the living portions of wood tissue.

Answer 20

Heartwood rot

Question 21

an indicator that decay is definitely present.

Answer 21

Definite indicators

Question 22

the reproductive structures of a fungus.

Answer 22

Fungal fruiting structures

Question 23

decay located in the sapwood. Bark and/or cambium may be damaged or dead. Signs of this classification of rot are usually numerous, but small, fruiting bodies along the barks surface are common.

Answer 23

Sapwood rot

Question 24

an indicator that decay might be present.

Answer 24

Potential indicators