ABSTRACT
There are three important factors when considering decay caused by Basidiomycetes. The damage caused by these fungi can be divided into two distinct types known as Brown and White rots respectively. A Brown rot generally destroys the cellulosic skeleton of the wood, leaving the lignin largely intact so that the wood becomes brown in colour and generally rather friable, perhaps developing longitudinal and cross-grain cracking. A White rot decays both the cellulose and lignin so that the colour remains virtually unaltered and the wood becomes soft and perhaps linty.
