ABSTRACT

The isolation and identification of the microorganisms associated with wood degradation in Umuariaga Village in Ikwuano Local Government Area was examined. The wood was collected from building sites in Umuariaga, district of Umuahia. All the materials and reagents used in this research work was gotten from the laboratories of Microbiology Department of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, (MOUAU) except the wood samples. The study found out the mean microbial counts from five (5) wood degradation sample. The Total heterotrophic plate count range from 3.8 x 105 to 8.7 x 105 cfu/ml and The Total coliform plate count were range from 2.8 x 105 to 5.3 x 105cfu/ml, Total fungal plate count 2.7 x 107 to 7.4 x 107 cfu/ml while Total staphylococcus plate count range from 1.3 x 105  to 4.1 x 105 cfu/ml respectively. The isolates from wood degradation samples were identified by morphological characteristics, pigmentation on media, microscopy, biochemical and sugar fermentation methods. This reveals the major bacterial isolates to belong to Bacillus species, Staphylococci aurues, Eschericial coli, Klebsiella species, streptococcus species and Serrieta species respectively. Fungal isolated from wood degradation samples were identify by their cultural characteristic and microscopic morphology namely; Aspergillus Niger, Aspergillus flavus, Rhodotorula species and Mucor Alternaria respectively. Distribution of bacterial isolates where a total of 27 bacterial and fungal strains were isolated from five (5) wood degradation samples collected at Umuariaga village of Umuahia namely; Sample A, B, C, D and E. The samples A, C and D has highest number of isolate with (6) and the lowest recorded at sample (F) with (4) isolate respectively. The percentage occurrence of bacterial and fungal species isolated from five (5) wood degradation samples presented in Table 4.4 The details of these isolates comprising; Serrieta species 5(18.5%), Staphylococci aurues 3(11.1%), Escherichia coli 4(14.8%), Streptococcus species 1(3.7%), Klebsiella species 2(7.4%), Bacillus species 3(14.8%) and Aspergillus Niger 1(3.7%), Aspergillus flavus 3(11.1%), Mucor Alternaria 3(11.1%) and Rhodotorula species 2(7.4%) respectively. The highest number of isolate found with Serrieta species 5(18.5%) follow by Escherichia coli 12(23.5%) and the lowest recorded with Aspergillus Niger 1(3.7%) and Streptococcus species 1(3.7%) respectively.