DECAY RESISTANCE OF THREE BAMBOO SPECIES NATURALLY GROWING IN LOMBOK ISLAND, INDONESIA
Culms of three bamboo species, Bambusa vulgaris, B. maculata, and Gigantochloa atter, collected from four natural stands in Lombok Island, Indonesia, were decayed by a white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor, for 90 days. The obtained data were analysed by a mixed-effect model with a random effect of the sites to evaluate the geographic variations of decay resistance of the culms. Mean mass loss values were 16.3% for B. vulgaris, 20.2% for B. maculata, and 13.8% for G. atter. No significant difference in mass loss was found among the three species. Mass loss was positively correlated with amounts of hot-water extracts and organic solvent extracts in B. vulgaris, and with amounts of hot-water extracts and 1% NaOH extracts in B. maculata. As a result of mixed-effect modelling, the variance component ratio of the sites ranged from about 10 to 30%, suggesting that geographic variation was recognized in the culm decay resistance.
