Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Affect The Growth of Wood-Decaying Fungi

Dry weight production of four wood-decaying organisms was measured in liquid cultures under oxygen concentrations from 0 to 40 percent and carbon dioxide concentrations from 0 to 30 percent. The response varied among the organisms but, in general, dry weight production decreased with a decrease in oxygen concentration below atmospheric levels and with an increase in carbon dioxide concentration from zero percent. Since reduced levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide can occur in tree trunks, these gases may influence the activity of wood-decaying organisms in living trees and, under the proper conditions, may play a role in the inactivation of decay columns.