Woodstock: Interactive Modeling of Fungal Wood Decay

Fungal wood decay is a complex biophysical phenomenon that involves the degradation of a variety of structural wood components, ranging from lignin and carbohydrates to defensive chemical agents. All these substrates serve as varying resources with different material properties that determine the rate of fungal propagation and the structural integrity and color of decaying wood. We propose a novel approach to simulate the dynamic interactions between the biological and mechanical components of wood decay, including fungal colonization, chemical defense, and moisture-driven fracture. We propose a novel volumetric representation of trees that includes grain-aligned mesh generation, internal moisture dynamics, and tissue-specific health states. Furthermore, we model the anisotropic diffusion, consumption, and resulting material failure caused by white and brown rot fungi. This allows simulating and rendering 3D volumetric decaying trees that realistically capture key aspects of the process, such as the progression of cuboid fracture patterns, the hollowing of trunks, and the effects of environmental moisture on structural stability.