Attempts at active protection of Inonotus obliquus by inoculating birches with its mycelium
Practical application of active protection methods of <em>Inonotus obliquus</em> (Fr.) Pilát. was examined. Thirty live birches and 15 birch stem sections were artificially inoculated with the fungal mycelium in the Mińsk Forest District (E Poland). The mycelium of <em>I. obliquus</em> was not recorded in the felled test trees and birch stem sections upon the completion of the experiment. Artificial introduction of <em>I. obliquus</em> in the natural environment faces significant problems caused by strong competition from other birch wood-decay fungi. As <em>in vitro</em> studies show (individual biotic effect determination), the fungi examined, occurring on birch trees in nature, are dominant species in relation to <em>I. obliquus</em>.