Peat biomass degradation: Evidence from fungal and faunal activity in carbonized wood from the Eocene sediments of western India

An integration of reflected light and transmitted light study of Eocene lignite along with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) examination of carbonized wood from Kapurdi lignite of the Barmer Basin has yielded abundant fungal components and arthropod appendages. The carbonized wood section under SEM shows tyloses, a physiological process as a response to fungal infection. Scolecodonts and annelid body parts were also recovered from the studied sediments, indicating the peat biomass was a thriving habitat for detritivores. In petrographic examination of the lignite beds which underlay and overlay the carbonized wood section, the funginite is found to be associated with resinite, indicating that the funginite inclusion was not accidental but encapsulation of fungi by exuded resin of the plant as a defense mechanism. Funginite is found in higher percentages in detrohuminite (attrinite) groundmass in lignites. The degradation of the humic matter is attributed to the fungal infestation as well as faunal activity in the peat mire. This fungal-faunal interaction resulted in alteration of the organic matter and origin of macerals belonging to inertinite group.