Wood decomposition is the result of activation of many factors. Wood contains 45-50% of cellulose. The cellulose is degraded by means of many species of fungi and cellulotic bacterias. Wood contains other polysacharide substances including hemicellulose which constitute 20% of weight of wood. The lignin is resistant to microorganisms attack but also it is ultimately degraded.
Lignin degradation does not occur in the initial phase of the fungus growth. The producion of peroxidases and veratryl alcohol and also lignolitic avtivity occur simultaneously, after depletion of readily available sources. Lignins are phenolic polymers of cell wall and form the second to cellulose, the most common group. Lignins constitute 30% of the organic carbon in plant biomass. Holocellulose constitutes whole carbohydrate fractions of wood substance, remaining after the removal of extraction compounds and lignin. As material to invastigation we used Scots pine stumps in uneven-aged, obtained from different habitats: fresh coniferous forest and fresh forest. The fresh stumps obtained from the schelterwood surface we used as the control samples.
The content of cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose was determined with chemical methods. The results showed that the content of cellulose and hemicellulose decreased with the age of the stump, while the lignin content increased relatively. The degradation of cellulose occured quicker in richer habitat. However, the habitat fertility had no impact on the rate of decomposition of hemicellulose.
The results of chemical analysis performed on the uneven-aged stumps are very important due to determination of time of the decomposition process of the structural wood components which reserve on down woody debris.
Keywords: biodegradation, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, holocellulose
Authors
Witczak A.
Department of Forest Protection and Ecology, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Science – SGGW
Skwarek M.
Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź
Lewandowska A.
Department of Wood Science and Wood Protection, Faculty of Wood Technology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW
Szadkowski J.
Department of Wood Science and Wood Protection, Faculty of Wood Technology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW
Sławska M.
Department of Forest Protection and Ecology, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Science – SGGW
Radomski A.
Department of Wood Science and Wood Protection, Faculty of Wood Technology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW
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