Abstract
The aim of this study was to establish a method for the bioremediation of forest dilapidation caused by the practice of leaving thinned woods and windfall trees in planted cedar forests. Specifically, the on-site degradation of wood logs by two species of wood-rot fungi was examined. The decay of cedar wood logs in a cedar forest was largely promoted by the inoculation of logs with Gloeophyllum trabeum or Trametes versicolor, which were selected due to their high degradation activity toward cedar wood flour and their universal distribution in nature. In addition, we confirmed that shiitake bed logs located next to rotting trees were not infected by G. trabeum. Our results suggest that the on-site biodegradation of thinned wood using these fungal strains will only have a small influence on the environment, and will promote the effective bioremediation of dilapidated forests.
