There are hundreds of wood-decay fungi in the Caribbean Basin, but relatively few of these are likely to grow on man-made structures built of wood or wood-composites. The wood-decay fungi of greatest concern are those that cause brown-rot, and especially brown-rot fungi that are resistant to copper-based wood preservatives. Some fungi that grow in the Caribbean and produce white-rot are able to grow in very hot and sometimes dry or salty environments; consequently, these fungi are sometimes observedon older man-made structures such as decks and posts. While the origin and history of the wood used in structures that are decayed by white-rot fungi is usually unknown, it is likely that many were built with some type of treated wood and that the treatment had lost its effectiveness over time. No copper-tolerant white-rot fungi have appeared in wood preservative trials conducted in challenging tropical environments. Another characteristic of concern in some brown- and white-rot fungi is the ability toform rhizomorphs or cords (root-like structures) because fungi can transport nutrients and water between food bases through these structures, and fungi sometimes grow across surfaces of preserved wood and colonize unprotected wood that is joined to it.
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