The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2014) has released four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5) (Taylor et al., 2012) to capture trends in future emissions scenarios. The RCPs make predictions about how future anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere will change. The RCPs consider emissions from sectors such as energy generation and transportation to the use of new emissions capture technologies. Intensified future climatic conditions will place wooden structures under more pressure to deliver suitable periods of service-life. Intensified temperature and moisture conditions will favour fungal decay processes, in-turn reducing service-life. This paper serves to visualize the fungal decay risk of wood exposed above ground, Europe-wide, while considering two future RCP scenarios and their effect on fungal decay potential.
Keywords: dose-response, fungal decay, IPCC, RCP 2.6, RCP 8.5
Authors
Brendan Nicholas Marais
Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products, University of Goettingen, Germany; Buesgenweg 4, 37077, Goettingen
Philip Bester van Niekerk
University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 4, Göttingen, Germany 37077
Christian Brischke
University of Goettingen, Wood Biolopgy and Wood Products, Buesgenweg 4, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
Holger Militz
University of Göttingen, Germany
Jonas Niklewski
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