Acta Scientiarum Polonorum
Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria

Porodaedalea pini (Brot.) Murrill. is a fungus that causes the rot of white heartwood of Scots pine wood dur- ing the life of a tree, found in pine stands throughout the country. The aim of the study was to determine the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere in pine stands under the influence of wood degradation in dif- ferent degrees of rot caused by P. pini. As a result of the research conducted in the Durowo and Łopuchówko Forest Districts, 2.2 to 6.54% of trees infected by P. pini were found. Based on the analysis of wood frag- ments, it was found that the average density of wood in 1st degree of rot was 391 kg/m3, in II – 378 kg/m3, III – 230 kg/m3, IV – 91 kg/m3. The average density of tree heartwood from deciduous trees was 470 kg/m3 and ranged from 381 to 650 kg/m3. The carbon content of the examined heartwood samples without rhinoceros was 48.95 to 54.52%. The carbon content varied significantly between the degree of rot and other degrees and was 58.66%. As a result of the decomposition of wood into the atmosphere, it freed from 193.4 kg to 568.4 kg of CO2, per hectare of forest area.