PREVALENT WOOD DEFECTS AND BIODETERIORATION AGENTS IN TIMBER SHEDS OF YOLA NORTH AND YOLA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS ADAMAWA STATE

The research identified and catalogued the various types of defects, biodeterorating agents and diseases symptoms of wood in timber sheds of Yola North and South Local Government Areas. Three major timber sheds (A- Numan Road Jimeta, B- Jimeta by-pass and C- Tashan Sani Ribadu) located in the two LGAs were selected for data collection. Data collected included types of wood species, nature of defects, insect types and disease symptoms. Results show that there was a total of 15 timber species in the timber sheds, belonging to 14 families. Defects observed included collapse, knots, and shakes, cross grain, warping, machine notches and split. Agents of bio deterioration identified were fungi, termite and insects and disease symptoms found included black stain, blue stain, brown rot, heart rot, white rot, dry rot and decay. Several biodeterorating agents are also found to attack most of the wood species. Similarly, common diseases of fungi found in wood by researchers are also evident in the study area. It is thus concluded that most of the wood sold in the study area are prone to destruction and consequent loss of value through various environmental defects and activities of agents of bio deterioration.