DECOMPOSITION AND TRANSFORMATION OF LIGNIFIED PLANT MATERIAL BY MICROSCOPIC SOIL FUNGI

The use of ultra-thin foils prepared from maple wood for measuring the wood-destroying capacity of soil fungi is described. Data are given on the reduction of dry-weight and tensile strength by the action of 27 highly active species from a total number of 280 microfungi. The decrease in lignin and cellulose content of wheat straw was studied with a selected number of fungi. The percentage reduction after an incubation period of 120 days was found to be between 31 and 52% for lignin, 33 and 66% for cellulose content respectively. A remarkable production of phenols was found in liquid cultures of Mammaria echinobotryoides, Hormiactis candida and Chaetomium piluliferum. The phenol production was more or less typical for all the examined fungi. There was a close relationship between the phenol metabolism and dark humic acid-like substances occurring during the decomposition of straw. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.