Abstract
Logs produced by forestry machinery have damaged bark, but the impact of partial bark removal on the yield of shiitake mushroom fruiting bodies remains unknown. Therefore, we cultivated fresh shiitake mushrooms in greenhouses using logs with bark peeling levels of 0% － 25% and investigated the weight and number of fruiting bodies per bed log. The relative weights of fruiting bodies were calculated by setting the weight at 0% debarking as 100. A negative correlation was observed between the extent of debarking and both the relative weight and number of fruiting bodies. The presence of bark was a prerequisite for the development of fruiting bodies because fruiting bodies emerged from the bark and not from debarked areas. Thus, increased bark damage reduces the yield of shiitake mushroom fruiting bodies.
