Wood-inhabiting fungi

The chapter summarizes the current developments on wood-inhabiting fungi. Taxonomically, wood-decomposers are represented by some groups of Basidiomycota, especially belonging to the order Polyporales (class Agaricomycetes). Composition of wood-inhabiting fungi established on generic and higher levels are given. Morphologically parallel series of sporogeneous structures of wood-inhabiting fungi are presented as a biomorphic system. Enzymatic systems of fungal wooddecomposers highlight white-rot and brown-rot fungi. It is emphasized that both groups are capable of oxidizing C-C components of wood polymers, but their targets are diverse. The mycogeographical aspects of wood-inhabiting fungi have been overviewed. The trophic aspects as well as substrate groupings of these fungi and their distributional patterns in the forest ecosystems of the Northern Hemisphere have also been discussed.