ABSTRACT
The importance of Wood Decaying Fungi (WDF) was recognized only after the establishment of the concept of ‘Heart rot’ by Robert Hartig. Wood decaying fungi belonging mainly to 90 % of Basidiomycetes and 10% of Ascomycetes inhabit the live, dead or felled tree trunks (Logs), roots and coppiced wood. These fungi play a significant role in lignin decomposition in the forest and in turn, the organic matter is added to the soil and thereby carbon is returned to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. But their decay in commercially important trees in plantations leads to the destruction of valuable raw wood material. Moreover, these fungi also attack wood in service that leads to a significant loss. The majority of the wood-rot fungi belonging to the family Polyporaceae (bracket fungi), which includes the genus such as Fomes, Polyporus and Ganoderma causing severe losses of timber throughout the world. Wood Decaying Fungi affect the physical characters of wood such as colour, odour, strength and a specific gravity of wood.
