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Seedlings of Picea jezoensis (Yezo spruce) are known to survive well on decayed wood whereas those on the ground are apt to die off due to the attack of plant pathogens. Therefore, microfloral characteristics in the decayed P. jezoensis wood were examined in respect to natural regeneration of the forest. Microbial examination of the decayed wood indicated that Gram-positive but not spore-forming bacteria were dominant. As the decayed wood was strongly acidic, the presence of acidophilic microorganisms was surveyed. Actinomycetes was shown to predominate in the surface layer of the deccayed wood. All of the isolates grew in the liquid medium of pH 4.5, but not above 7.5. However, the growth responses to the pH between 3.5 and 6.5 were different among the isolates. Diaminopimelic acid of all the isolates was LL, and menaquinone system was MK-9 with H8, or H8 and Hs. Therefore, all of the isolates were regarded to belong to group streptomycetes. Two thirds of the isolates had cellulolytic activity, and some of them showed antifungal activity against several strains of Fusarium.

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