Soft Rot Decay in Acetylated Wood: Microcalorimetry and Ergosterol Assay in Decayed Wood

Acetylation significantly inhibits microbial decay of wood in ground contact (mainly soft-rot). Microcalorimetry and ergosterol determination were applied to quantify microbial activity within soil exposed wood. While microcalorimetry determines the heat production, i.e. the total activity of all microorganisms, ergosterol determination is a special indicator for fungal activity. Both methods revealed that an increased degree of acetylation led to a reduction of microbial activity and fungal biomass in the wood. These results show that the extent of colonisation of wood is reduced with increasing degree of acetylation.