The properties of black cherry tree wood (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) and its susceptibility to fungal decomposition in areas where it is secondary and invasive: a case study in the Kampinos National Park (Poland)

From the paper

Abstract

The properties of black cherry wood and its susceptibility to fungal decay were studied in the secondary range of the species, on six trees from two stands growing in poor, acidic soils of the Albic Arenosol and Gleic Albic Podzol type, albeit differing in moisture and organic carbon and nitrogen content. Wood from trees growing in wetter and richer soils had better physical properties: of 95 determined parameters, 80 showed significant differences in favor of this wood – for example, wider rings (3.25 mm) on average and a higher density (662.71 kg/m3 at 12% humidity). The content of extractives in the wood of trees from more moist and rich soil plots was 1.5 times higher than in the case of trees grown in poorer and drier soil. Of 44 extractives determined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, six with confirmed antifungal properties were found in the wood of trees grown in wetter and richer soil, and only three in the wood of trees from drier and poorer soil: their percentage share was 62.93% and 8.68% of peak area respectively. This wood also turned out to be less susceptible to fungal decay: in general, however, the degree of decay was low, and of the four basidiomycete species tested, only Trametes versicolor caused a loss of more than 10% of wood mass in the samples from both sites. The obtained results show that black cherry has the ability to benefit from even small differences in the richness of generally poor soils and habitats to which it was introduced in the secondary range, resulting in the diversity of features and properties of its wood.