Table 1.
Properties of Norway spruce (Picea abies) wood of different decay stages (early, intermediate and late) and the number of pooled discs used to prepare the inoculum (non-sterile sawdust) or the autoclaved sawdust for the microcosms.
| Wood decay stage | C/N | Lignin (%) | Density kg/dm | aDry matter (%) | bWater content (%) | No of pooled discs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| inoculum | Substrate | ||||||
| Early | 352 ± 41 | 32 ± 5 | 0.42 ± 0.02 | 77 ± 0 | 30 ± 1 | 14 | 5 |
| Intermediate | 328 ± 63 | 37 ± 10 | 0.28 ± 0.01 | 59 ± 1 | 71 ± 3 | 12 | 5 |
| Late | 136 ± 42 | 51 ± 19 | 0.15 ± 0.02 | 21 ± 1 | 376 ± 16 | 16 | 5 |
The C/N ratio, lignin, diameter, and density (determined as described in Rajala et al., 2010) are the mean values (±SD) of 14 discs from early-decay stages, 12 discs from intermediate-decay stages and 16 discs from late-decay stages. Dry matter and water content were determined by drying fresh sawdust at 105°C for 24 h.
Dry matter (%) was calculated as: weight of dry sawdust (g)/weight of wet sawdust (g) * 100.
Water content (%) was calculated as: [weight of wet sawdust (g)—weight of dry sawdust (g)]/weight of dry sawdust (g) * 100.