KINETICS OF WOOD DEGRADATION BY FUNGI WITH X-RAY MICRODENSITOMETRIC TECHNIQUE

X-ray microdensitometric analysis was employed for the detection of fu ngi attack in wood of pine and beech in comparison with the studies of specimen weight loss tests. Two species of fungi were used: Gloeophyl lum trabeum (Pers.:Fr. Murrill) and Trametes versicolor (L.:FU. Pilat) . We select these species to induce typical decay attack mainly on cel lulose in pine (brown rot) and mainly on lignin in beech (white rot). The attack was conducted for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 months in sterile labora tory conditions. After 5 months all the values of density components d ecreased. In beech the loss was of about 25% for all components. In pi ne the decreasing of the earlywood density component was of about 10% and in latewood of about 22%. The corresponding mass density losses, d etermined by gravimetric method, were approximately 18% for beech and 16% for pine.