Excessively high moisture conditions can cause swelling of wood which can result in crushed components, and finish and glue failure. Excessively low moisture conditions can cause damage to wood such as splitting. Between the extremes of moisture lies the ideal moisture content for good preservation, but also the range that supports biological decay processes. While this factor may seem terribly self-evident, in some cases, the actual food source for some organisms is not wood. Handling an object may leave residues which support the growth of these organisms, under the right conditions.
Fungi are probably the agent of the greatest destruction of wood in nature.
Often, fungi damage wood, which makes it more inviting to insects. Insects which completely consume wood include termites and beetle larvae. These insects can nearly completely consume an object or historic structure before they are detected. Temperature Organisms which destroy wood have been found in virtually every environment. And unfortunately, the object may be severely damaged as a result of extreme low temperature, since it may be dried out and shrink in this condition.