Biodeterioration of Wood

Course Description:

Under proper conditions, wood will give centuries of service. However, if conditions exist that permit the development of wood-degrading organisms, protection must be provided during processing, merchandising, and use. Wood degradation by organisms has been studied extensively, and many preventive measures are well known and widely practiced. Topics included in this course are: fungus and damage control, bacteria, insect damage control and marine borer damage control.

Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Know the three general causes of fungus damage to wood.
• Learn the most common types of damage caused by wood-attacking insects.
• Understand methods of controlling and preventing insect attack of wood
• Learn the principal marine borers from the standpoint of wood damage in the United states.