Certain Aspects of Bacterial Degradation of Pinus Radiata Wood

Bacterial degradation of tracheid walls of Pinus radiata wood was examined by transmission electron microscopy. The wall degradation appeared to be of two different forms, one where bacteria were present within tracheid walls forming tunnels as they moved - tunnelling type of degradation, and the other where bacteria degraded the wall from the lumen outwards - erosion type of degradation. The residual material arising from bacterial erosion of the tracheid wall spread to various extents into the lumen and contained mixed bacterial populations of varied forms. Microscopic details of these two degradation forms which involved adjoining wall areas of the same tracheid are described.