Some nitrogen considerations of wood ecology and preservation

Abstract

Several kinds of nutrients were perfused to soil-inoculated veneers and were found not to change significantly the frequencies of microfungi isolation, but to have more effect on the rate of strength loss. Woods supplied with small amounts of nitrogen nutrient had slight strength reductions and thus indicated the adaptability of these microfungi to such conditions.The presence of nitrogenase activity within deteriorated wood was demonstrated and this suggested that over a long period of time nitrogen-fixing microorganisms might increase the wood nitrogen content.Amino compounds present in wood were altered with nitrous acid and shown not to upset the colonization patterns or the rate of decay. Some depolymerization of the cellulose fraction with further treatment by dilute alkali and ammonia gave varied results and no apparent decay when perfused with water.Leaching the wood with dilute acid gave a decrease in nitrogen content and this again did not affect the fungal growth, but it did prevent a loss of strength when perfused with water. It might provide a method of preserving timber used in certain conditions.