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Wood Degradation, Challenges, and Mitigation

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Science of Wood Degradation and its Protection

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Abstract

Wood is an ancient material used in the development of human civilization. It is the first material used by the human kind for its protection and survival that further came into use as material for shelter preparation and food preparation, as fuel wood. Since then the wood has become an integral part of day-to-day life of mankind. This renewable and recyclable material however forms material of food, shelter and reproduction for many other organisms too. In this chapter we have discussed about the joint action of major organisms, which are dependent on wood for their survival and also the environmental factors in the process of wood degradation. Such degradation of wood and wooden products results in enormous economic loss, and it has a negative impact on the present era of global warming, as carbon locked in the wood is released in the process of degradation. Consequently, the possibility of mitigating wood degradation is also discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Protection Division, Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

    R. Sundararaj & S. Padma

  2. Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

    Rashmi R. Shanbhag

  3. Wood Properties and Uses Division, Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

    S. Shashikala & R. V. Rao

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  1. R. Sundararaj
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    R. Sundararaj

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Sundararaj, R., Shanbhag, R.R., Padma, S., Shashikala, S., Rao, R.V. (2022). Wood Degradation, Challenges, and Mitigation. In: Sundararaj, R. (eds) Science of Wood Degradation and its Protection. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8797-6_1

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