Decay fungi from playground wood products in service using 28S rDNA sequence analysis

In order to establish integrated control strategies of wood degradation, a systematic survey of basidiomycete decay fungi colonizing various wood products in service is a prerequisite to increasing the service life of wood products. As a first step, we initiated a thorough survey of basidiomycete decay fungi colonizing playground wood products. For accurate fungal identification, traditional methods were complemented with molecular methods, including a BLAST search for large-subunit 28S rDNA sequences in Genbank and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 132 basidiomycete fungi, including 30 different fungal taxa, were isolated from 35 playgrounds in 15 different areas. Eight species, Bjerkandera adusta, Ceriporia lacerata, Gloeophyllum trabeum, Peniophora sp., Phanerochaete sordida, Schizophyllum commune, Sistotrema brinkmannii, and Trametes versicolor, were predominantly isolated. A combination of traditional and molecular tools allowed a more detailed identification and diversity.