• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.92-98
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• 1997

To make good use of chitosan forming complex with heavy metals in wood preservative treatment, woods impregnated with chitosan and copper sulfate were prepared. Amounts of leached copper, decay resistance, anti-mold efficacy, iron corrosion rates, moisture regain rates and degradation pattern in chitosan pre-treated and untreated wood were compared. After leaching test, amounts of leached copper from chitosan pre-treated wood had a much smaller than chitosan untreated wood, and good decay resistance was retained even after leaching test. From these results, it was proved that chitosan-copper complex formed in wood played and important role for decay durability. In chitosan pre-treated wood, damage values by test molds became remarkably smaller, but the growth of test molds was not perfectly inhibited. Distinct differences in iron corrosion rates between chitosan pre-treated and untreated woods was not recognized but chitosan pre-treated wood showed the lower moisture regain rates than chitosan untreated wood because of water insoluble chitosan membrane formed in wood. After leaching test, the tracheid walls in the wood treated with 2.0% copper sulfate only were eroded by the fungal attacks, but those in the wood pre-treated with chitosan remained almost intact.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.531-537
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• 2011

This research was performed to evaluate the decay hazard for exterior above-ground wood in Korea. The Scheffer index (decay hazard index) was determined using the climate data of 72 different locations obtained from the website of Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), and the wood decay hazard map was created. Jeju, Seogwipo, Gwangju, and Jeonju showing above 65 of Scheffer index values were considered to be high decay hazard zones. The rest showed the values in the range between 35 and 65, meaning the moderate decay hazard zones. However, the annual Scheffer indexes largely varied, which suggests that many moderate decay zones could turn into high decay regions with the climate change. Especially, considering that Korean weather tends to turn into the weather of subtropical region, the decay hazard of Korea seems to have high possibility to be gradually increased.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2019

In order to investigate the decay process of wood treated with preservative, waterproofing agent and their compound systems, a full-cell process was applied to impregnate the sapwood of poplar (Populus cathay) at paraffin wax emulsion concentrations of 0.5% and 2.0%, Copper Azole (CA) concentrations of 0.3% and 0.5%, and their four compound systems, respectively. Leaching tests and laboratory decay resistance against the white-rot fungus Corious versicolor (L.) Murrill for treated wood were carried out according to the America Standard E11-06 and China Standard GB/T 13942.1-2009. At certain time intervals during the decay test, samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction technique (XRD) to investigate the time-dependent changes of chemical components and crystalline structure, thus clarifying the decay mechanisms. The results suggested that white-rot fungi degrade hemicellulose and lignin in the wood cell wall first, followed by a simultaneous degradation of polysaccharides and lignin. Besides, CA could not only slower the decomposition of both hemicellulose and lignin, but also reduce the degradation amount of hemicellulose. However, paraffin wax emulsion at high concentration had a negative effect on the impregnation of CA for the compound system treated wood.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

Decay and mold resistance of zinc borate (ZB) and calcium borate (CB) modified oriented strandboard (OSB) from southern mixed hardwood and southern yellow pine was investigated in this study. Brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum and white-rot fungus Trametes versicolar were used to examine the decay resistance of the OSB. The OSB test specimens were colonized by brown and white rot fungal mycelium in both the brown and white-rot culture bottles after 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. The wood species and fungus type had the significant effects on the decay resistance. Brown rot decay was evident for all untreated southern pine and mixed hardwood controls. The white-rot decay, however, did not show significant weight loss at both species control samples. The incorporation of ZB and CB composites provides suitable protection against brown-and white-rot fungi. No significant weight loss was observed from the borate treated OSB.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.240-247
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• 2018

Though several wood decay fungi have been reported in the world-wide, only about 600 wood decay fungi have been reported in Korea to date. Thus, the objective of this study was to secure resources for the wood decay fungi in Korea. We investigated wood decay fungi in Yeoninsan Provincial Park, Korea, and the collected specimens were identified based on ITS sequence analysis. Two species were unrecorded species in Korea: Postia hirsuta (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) and Hyphodontia reticulata (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota). Another species was previously reported without detailed description: Ceriporia alachuana (Polyporales, Basidiomycota). Here, we provided additional detailed microscopic features and phylogenetic analysis of these species.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.315-325
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• 2020

Boron compound had many advantages as wood preservative, but it was prone to leaching. Improving boron preservation was required to extend the service life of fast growing and low durability red jabon (Antochephalus macrophyllus) hardwood. This study aimed to evaluate the dimensional stability, color change and durability of modified red jabon wood by double impregnation with boron and methyl methacrylate (MMA) and heat treatment. Impregnation I used boric acid or borax, and impregnation II used MMA, while heat treatment used temperatures of 90 ℃ or 180 ℃ for 4 hours. The dimensional stability, leachability, water absorption, color change and decay resistance of modified red jabon wood were tested. The results showed that MMA impregnation increased the dimensional stability of red jabon wood, while the leaching and water absorption in the wood significantly reduced. Heating at 180 ℃ caused less water absorption and higher dimensional stability of the wood than that of heating at 90 ℃. Impregnation with boric acid and MMA followed by heating at 90 ℃ resulted in the highest wood ASE, 89.9%. The color change (∆E^*) of wood increased significantly after MMA impregnation and heating at 180 ℃. Boric acid impregnation caused more resistant wood than borax impregnation against decay fungi and termites. Impregnation with boric acid and MMA followed with heating at 180 ℃ increased significantly the wood resistance against decay fungi and termites.

• Mycobiology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.205-209
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• 2007

Ergosterol involves in fungal cell growth as a major component in fungal cell membranes. It can be an indicator that shows the fungal activity, and its content depends on the fungal strains, culture, growth conditions and so on. In this study, fungal activities and growth patterns of three white-rot fungi strains isolated in Korea were evaluated by determination of ergosterol contents during the incubation. Wood decay test and chemical analyses of wood were also performed to verify the relationship between fungal activity and wood degrading capacity of white-rot fungi for 60 days. In the results of experiments, it is considered that the test strains selectively degrade large amount of lignin in wood at the early stage of decay. Especially, Phanerochaete chrysosporium showed the best capability on selective degradation of lignin among the test fungi. It is suggested that the determination of ergosterol content in the fungal culture during the incubation is the simple and effective screening method of white-rot fungi for the application to biopulping of wood.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.18-27
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• 1996

The feasibility of using stress-wave technique in the transverse direction for the assessment of early stages of decay was investigated using compression test specimens having different annual ring orientations subjected to decay by Tyromyces palustris for various time intervals. Decay detection, quantitative assessment of decay, and the prediction of residual strength of decayed wood with less than five percent weight loss can be feasible using stress-wave parameters (wave velocity, wave impedance, and stress-wave elasticity) and their percent reduction due to decay, measured by stress-wave technique in the transverse direction. The use of stress-wave technique in the transverse direction for the application of this technique to structural members in service is desirable, when considering the easiness of attachment of accelerometers of stress-wave measuring device on the surface of members and also accurate detection of localized decayed areas. In stress-wave technique in the transverse direction, stress-wave parameters measured were different according to the angles between wave propagation path and annual ring, due to the anisotropy of wood structure. Therefore, it is recommended to use percent reduction in stress-wave parameters instead of stress-wave parameters. This evaluation method using percent reduction in stress-wave parameters is ideal when it is impossible to observe annual ring orientation on the transverse surface of wood.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.16-25
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• 1987

This study was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions in order to investigate the relative durability to decay of 6 Quercus species. The relative durability to decay was expressed by the percentage of weight loss by Lentinus edodes and Pleuratus ostreatus. The results obtained could be summarized as follows: 1. The most decay-resistant parts by L. edodes were heart wood of Q. sarrata TH. and sap wood of Q. aliena BL. and the least decay-resistant parts were heart wood of Q. acutissima C. and sap wood of Q. dentata TH.. 2. The most decay-resistant parts by P. osteratus were heart wood of Q. serrata TH. and sap wood of Q. aliena BL. and the least decay-resistant parts were heart wood of Q. variabilis BL. and sap wood of Q. dentata. TH.. 3. The percentage of weight loss in 6 Quercus species by section-height was not a consistent variation. 4. Putting these results together, Quercus aliena BL, could be regarded as the most decay-resistant by L. edodes and P. osteratus under normal condition among 6 Quercus species.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.126-135
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• 2018

Wood decay fungi were collected in 47 different locations in eight provinces of South Korea from 2011 to 2013. One thousand and five hundreds three fruiting bodies of wood-decay fungi were collected, identified, and classified into 2 phyla, 7 classes, 19 orders, 56 families, 159 genera and 365 species. The most dominant genus and species found were Trametes and T. versicolor. The highest species diversity was found in broad-leaved forest (273 species), and was also found at elevations of 500-1,000 m (227 species). A total of 333 species were collected from broad-leaved trees, 87 species from coniferous trees, and 55 species were collected from both forest types. Gymnopilus liquiritiae was the most dominant species in coniferous trees, while T. versicolor, which was mostly collected from tree trunks below 500 m in elevation, was dominant in broad-leaved trees. Results from the quantitative cluster analysis of wood decay fungi showed that the highest species diversity index was 1.80 in the mixed forests, while the highest similarity among forest types was shown between the broad-leaved and mixed forests.