Acta Scientiarum Polonorum
Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria

Background. The wood of dead, dying and living trees is a very important element of the forest ecosystem. The existence of many species of fungi is closely related to the presence of dead wood in the stand. The fungi community is a group of different species occurring in a certain time and space. The species composition of such a community is not constant and changes with the passage of wood into successive stages of decay. The impact on the formation of the fungi communities has a primary species composition occurring on and in the wood. The first wood is populated by species capable of decomposing fresh wood, then penetrating the structure of wood already violated, and in the final stage, settling on wood that is heavily decayed.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the species composition of fungal communities on pedunculate oak Qu- ercus robur L. wood. The material was downloaded from the area of the Drawa National Park (from 15°45’ to 16°45’E, from 53°00’ to 53°15’N) and divided into three stages of wood decomposition.

Methods. The detection of fungi was done, using the method of molecular biology. The use of molecular methods was based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloning and sequencing by method described by Method of Sanger. The resulting sequence was compared with the reference sequence from the NCBI database.

Results. The species composition of communities differed between various stages of decomposition. The most numerous was represented by Ascomycota. When analyzing the first stage of decomposition, 25 clones were obtained which represented three taxa. In the second stage 32 clones were obtained which represented 5 taxa. In the case of the third stage of decomposition, a positive result was not achieved. The taxonomy common in and with the II degree of decomposition was Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. The differences in the spe- cies composition between the species that settle the individual decomposition levels indicate the succession of species during the decomposition of wood. Except for species associated with wood degradation, these observed species have no significance for forest management.