Fungal decay in cable car pylons in Svalbard - overview of results

A total of 212 iconic wooden cable car pylons were constructed for mining operations in Svalbard, significantly contributing to Longyearbyen's historical identity as a mining town. Fieldwork in Svalbard involved collecting wood samples from 22 of these pylons, targeting wood exposed both aboveground and ground proximity. Whilst the timber used in the constructions was assumed to be untreated Norway spruce (Picea abies), light microscopy revealed that 25% of the timber members were Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Wooden beams exposed aboveground showed initial decay over the first 80-90 years, whereas severe fungal decay was observed after about 50 years in wooden poles inserted in the ground. Metabarcoding identified Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes to be predominating in the wood samples and unveiled new fungal species for Svalbard, including four brown rot, five white rot, and sixteen soft rot species. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations confirmed more advanced decay in ground proximity samples, dominated by brown and soft rot fungi.