Wood Decay Fungi

Question 1

Not all fungi cause problems for trees

what are the three types of fungi?

Answer 1

• Saprotrophic fungi are not able to cause damage to living trees beause of the trees natural defences, and so they are only able to colonise dead wood.
• Mycorrhizal fungi have a sembiotic relationship with tree roots and help the tree to obtain nutrients from the soil.
• Parasytic fungi obtian thier food from the living tree by causing decay in living or stressed trees, which can result in damage or death.

Question 2

Basidiomycetes

information

Answer 2

• typically produce spores in large fruiting bodies like mushrooms and brackets
• typically attack wood in the roots or stem by relesing enzymes that break down substances within the wood to release glucose. the following symptoms are:
  - brown rot
  attacks the cellulose and hemicellulose in the cell walls of wood as they tend to leave the ligin intact the affected wood turns brown.
  - white rot
  attacks cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, often simultainiously, they turn the effected wood into a spongy mass.
  - soft rot
  degrades the cell walls locally forming grooves and tunnels, mainly breaking down cellulose with localised lignin also removed. wood becomes brittle and fails like cermaic.

Question 3

Ascomycetes

Answer 3

• commonly know as sac fungi
• spores are produced in small sacs
• largest group of fungi
• typically attack leaves, shoots, bark and sometimes the cambium

Question 4

Oomycetes

Answer 4

• not a fungi, another oganism that resembles fungi

Question 5

Colonisation Stratergies

Answer 5

• Active Pathogen
• Sapwood Exposed
• Sapwood Intact
• Heart rot Stratergies