Large woody debris in a second-growth central Appalachian hardwood stand: volume, composition, and dynamics

Author

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• Adams, M. B.
• Schuler, T. M.
• Ford, W. M.
• Kochenderfer, J. N.

Year Published

2003

Publication

In: Van Sambeek, J. W.; Dawson, Jeffery O.; Ponder Jr., Felix; Loewenstein, Edward F.; Fralish, James S., eds. Proceedings of the 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 237-245

Abstract

We estimated the volume of large woody debris in a second-growth stand and evaluated the importance of periodic windstorms as disturbances in creating large woody debris. This research was conducted on a reference watershed (Watershed 4) on the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia. The 38-ha stand on Watershed 4 was clearcut around 1911 and has been undisturbed by management activities since that time. Down dead wood (DDW) was sampled in 1999 and identified by species and decay class. The contributions from two windstorms, in 1993 and 1998, were quantified at the same time. Total volume of DDW in Watershed 4 was 69.7 m³ ha^-1, a value equal to or greater than those reported for old growth in central/eastern hardwood forests. The most frequent and the largest volume of DDW was chestnut, followed by sugar maple. Standing dead trees (snags) provided another 41.4 m³ ha^-1 of large woody debris. Of the DDW contributed by the windstorms, the largest volume was American beech. The two windstorms were found to contribute approximately 3.5 m³ ha^-1 of DDW each. Using these data and other stand characteristics, the stand on Watershed 4 was compared with old growth stands, and implications for management discussed.

Citation

Adams, M. B.; Schuler, T. M.; Ford, W. M.; Kochenderfer, J. N. 2003. Large woody debris in a second-growth central Appalachian hardwood stand: volume, composition, and dynamics. In: Van Sambeek, J. W.; Dawson, Jeffery O.; Ponder Jr., Felix; Loewenstein, Edward F.; Fralish, James S., eds. Proceedings of the 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 237-245

Last updated on: February 1, 2007

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