Decomposition of woody roots in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. Laws. ex C. Laws.) dominated forests in Oregon,
U.S.A. was studied using a chronosequence. Roots of five coniferous species were excavated from stumps with ages up to 46 years old. A structural component-oriented approach may provide a better solution to predicting the long-term woody root decomposition than that provided by initial substrate quality indices. This approach examines the decomposition of different
components of woody roots separately to predict whole root decomposition.
Becky Fasth, Hua Chen, Jack E. Janisch, Mark E. Harmon
To study root decomposition of five tree species in forests of the Pacific Northwest.