Nitrogen in Wood and Its Role in Wood Deterioration

Based on present knowledge of the origin, amounts, chemical form, and distribution of nitrogen (N) in wood, hypotheses are proposed to explain radial gradients in N content that exist across the xylem cylinder of tree stems: (1) N in the cytoplasm of developing wood cells is diluted by apposition of cell wall substances; (2) after maturation of wood fiber cells, N in their cytoplasm is removed by elution into the transpiration stream; (3) death of xylem parenchyma cells during aging of sapwood and formation of heartwood is accompanied by removal of much of the N in their cytoplasm. Hypotheses 2 and 3 above suggest strongly that trees possess an internal recycling mechanism for conservation and reuse of the N in the cytoplasm of xylary cells.Although the supply of N in wood is meager, wood-destroying fungi readily metabolize the carbon-rich constituents of wood and produce large fruiting structures that release vast numbers of spores in nature. To account for these capacities, we postulate that these fungi employ one or more of the following three mechanisms: (1) preferential allocation of N obtainable from wood to substances and pathways highly efficient in the use of wood constituents; (2) reuse of N obtainable from wood by a dynamic and continuous process of autolysis and reuse without significant loss of N; (3) utilization of N sources outside the wood itself, for example, by fixation of atmospheric N.