Scanning electron micrograph of soft rot in wood collected from Wordie House (Base F,Detaille Island,Antarctic Peninsula). Fungi have attacked the cells causing cavities throughout the secondary cell-wall layer. BB Soft rot occurring in birch (Betula sp.) collected at East Base (Stonington Island,Antarctic Peninsula). Fungi have caused extensive erosion of secondary cell walls as well as cavity formation. The bar represents 100 µm. polar distribution. Although a few filamentous basidiomycetes were found, which are rare in Antarctica, the predominant group of decay fungiappears to be ascomycetes in the Cadophora genus.