Relationship between total extractive content and durability of three tropical hardwoods exposed to Coriolus versicolor (Linnaeus) Quelet

The relationship between total extractive content and durability of Nauclea diderrichii (de Wild.) Merr. and Corynanthe pachyceras Welw. from the Rubiaceae and Nesogodornia papaverifera (A. Chev.) R. Capuron. from the Tiliaceae has been investigated. The extractive content of each wood was measured and blocks were exposed to Coriolus versicolor (Linnaeus) Quelet for 8 weeks. An inverse relationship was found between extractive content and weight loss. From the results, it was found that N. diderrichii (extractive content = 13.29–13.96%; weight loss = 1.02–1.91%) is the most durable species, followed by C. pachyceras heartwood (extractive content = 12.56–14.19%; weight loss = 5.80–8.21%) and N. papaverifera (extractive content = 10.18–10.65%; weight loss = 8.22–9.01%). For these species, total extractive content is consistently related to the durability of the hardwoods.