A. Ostrofsky et al., CHANGES IN CATION CONCENTRATIONS IN RED SPRUCE WOOD DECAYED BY BROWN-ROT AND WHITE-ROT FUNGI, Canadian journal of forest research, 27(4), 1997, pp. 567-571
Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) wood blocks were incubated in modified
soil block jars and inoculated with one of nine white rot or brown ro
t basidiomycetes. Concentrations of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iro
n, and aluminum were determined using inductively coupled plasma emiss
ion spectroscopy in wood incubated 0, 1.5, 4, and 8 months after inocu
lation. Concentrations of calcium and magnesium tended to increase wit
h time in a linear fashion in wood inoculated with fungi. Patterns of
change in potassium concentrations varied. Concentrations of iron and
aluminum were high in wood decayed by some of the fungi, particularly
Postia placenta (Fr.) M. Larsen & Lombard. Temporal trends in wood cat
ion concentration varied among decay fungi tested, indicating that spe
cies of decay fungus should be considered when examining the role of w
ood decay in nutrient cycling in the forest.