Internal Cause Analysis of Damage of Wooden Components in Danxia Temple Ancient Architectures: Tree Species

A study of degraded wooden components from Danxia Temple's ancient architectures reveals that four tree species—Quercus, Ulmus, Salix, and Populus—were primarily damaged by fungal decay. Quercus spp. suffered severe cellulose loss due to brown rot fungi, while Ulmus spp. experienced degradation of both cellulose and lignin by white rot fungi. All four species were also highly susceptible to insect attacks. The research used bright field microscopy along with polarized and fluorescence light observations to analyze cell wall compositions, providing insights into the internal causes of wood damage in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Yang, Y., Sun, H., Yang, S., Wang, A., Zhao, R., Wang, W., He, Y., Li, B., Zhang, B., & Wu, Q. (2021). INTERNAL CAUSE ANALYSIS OF DAMAGE OF WOODEN COMPONENTS IN DANXIA TEMPLE ANCIENT ARCHITECTURES: TREE SPECIES. Wood Research, 66(2), 297–308. https://doi.org/10.37763/wr.1336-4561/66.2.297308