Oregon State University

College of Forestry

Dept. or Forest Science

Bole Decomposition Rates of Seventeen Tree Species in Western U.S.A.  

a report prepared for the USDA USFS, Washington Office

Introduction
The management of large dead and down trees has become a recent concern in Western U.S. Forests. We now know that dead wood is associated with many ecological benefits (plant and animal habitat, nutrient and water storage, soil formation) and that these benefits all vary with the species of log, the environment and the volume of dead wood on a site. The key to understanding and then managing dead wood dynamically is an understanding of the rate this material decomposes.   

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Links of Interest:

   CWD Decomposition     

Summary - In this report we present data on the decomposition rates of seventeen tree species in eight locations in Western U.S.A. 

Study Areas - The majority of sites were in Oregon, but sites in Colorado and California were also examined.  A range of climates are also represented, with site mean annual temperatures ranging from 0.5 to 10 C, and total annual precipitation ranging from 737 to 2489 mm per year.

Map of site locations 

Study Methods - The general approach at each of the sites differed.  The three methods used, chronosequences, time series, and decomposition vectors are described.

Results - A comparison of decomposition rates.

Discussion - Further thoughts on determining decomposition rates.

Tables - Climate, types of measurements, decay resistance, and decomposition rates.

Figures - Location of sites, climatic variation, species comparison.

Literature Cited - More information to consider.

 

 

Guidelines for measurement of Woody Detritus -A report by Mark E. Harmon and Jay M. Sexton

LIDET -Long-term Intersite Decomposition Experiment Team

CIDET -Canadian Long-term Intersite Decomposition Experiment

HJ Andrews home -HJ Andrews Experimental Forest Long-term ecological research






 

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the following agencies for financial support in the collection of these data and the preparation of this report: 

the National Science Foundation (DEB9632921 and DEB0218088), 

The Pacific Northwest Experiment Station, 

the Joint Fire Sciences Program and 

the Forest Management Service Center of WO Forest Management Staff.  

We also wish to thank the Warm Springs Tribe for allowing us to sample within their forest.

 

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the following agencies for financial support in the collection of these data and the preparation of this report:

the National Science Foundation (DEB9632921 and DEB0218088),

The Pacific Northwest Experiment Station, and the Rocky Mountain Experiment Station. 

We also wish to thank the Warm Springs Tribe for allowing us to sample within their forest.