Zs. P. Komáromy szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 15. 1981 (Budapest, 1981)

Babos, Margit: Mycological examination of sawdust depots in Hungary

STUDIA BOTANICA HUNGARICA (Antea: Fragmenta Botanica) XV. 1981 p. 31-44 Mycological examination of sawdust depots in Hungary By M. BABOS (Received November 28, 1980) Abstract : The fungus communities of sawdust depots of Hungary have been examined. In sawdusts of deciduous trees and in those obtained from deciduous trees mixed with pine, the composition of fungi flora does not depend on the composition of the tree species but first of all on the thickness of the sawdust layer. In addition to floristical data, observations relating to the ecology of certain species were also made. Introduction By-products (bark, sawdust, shavings, etc.) yielded on different places and in different phases of conversion of timber must be removed from the workshops, in accordance with the relevant regulations. Sawdust is occasionally used as litter in live-stock farming, it is however mostly not utilized and the storage of it causes problems. Frequently, It is used to fill up marshy dips, or carried into mining pits, or rubbish pits in the vicinity of settlements. According to data published by the Institute for Wood-Industry Research (SZALAY, ORTUTAY & OROSZ 1975), the foreseeable quantity of timber by-products in Hungary will be 2.773.000 m

3 for 1980, and 2.828.000 m

3 for 1990 (35.6% resp. 34.2% of gross fell). In countries rich in wood, the quantity of by-products yielded conversion of timber is several times more than that of Hungary. An especially great number of environmental worries are caused by the great quantity of bark by-product in cellulose combines. In the huge waste stockpiles, "barkmountains", there are produced organic decomposition products with poisoning effect during the slow process of decaying and rotting. These products, accompanying the precipitation water, lead into the soil and cause damage to the fresh water (PONGO 1979). There have been several methods elaborated and applied all over the world for the microbiological use of the by-product wood material, and for using it as biological energy in biomass production. In this country however, the biological utilization of wood by-product occurs at most in the course of compost preparation, but not in a considerable quantity (TAKÁTS 1978). The Team of Forest Microbiological Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (University of Forestry and Wood Industry, Sopron) carries on experiments to draw xylophagous fungus species into production i.e. in bringing about the mycelium mass of xylophagous fungi. One of the important tasks of researchers is to select the fungus species suitable for various purposes so that in addition to the well-known fungi that can be grown in wood and wood material also other fungi could be utilized. The results of the observations, the data presented in this paper may promote the accomplishment of practical targets, since In the characteristic species community growing on sawdust such edible fungus species can be found that often produce mass growth and also their mycelium mass which interlace the sawdust is of a remarkable quantity. il