Woody debris

Abstract

Woody debris can be defined as any dead, woody plant material, including logs, branches, standing dead trees, and root wads. Woody debris is an important part of forest and stream ecosystems because it has a role in carbon budgets and nutrient cycling, is a source of energy for aquatic ecosystems, provides habitat for terrestrial and aquatic organisms, and contributes to structure and roughness, thereby influencing water flows and sediment transport (Harmon and others 1986). Few studies of woody debris in forested wetlands have been done in the Southeastern United States. To characterize this important ecosystem component, the influence of flooding and plant community type on woody debris must be understood.

Parent Publication

• The Coosawhatchie Bottomland Ecosystem Study: A Report on the Development of a Reference Wetland

Citation

Scheungrab, Donna B.; Trettin, Carl C.; Lea, Russ; Jurgensen, Martin F. 2000. Woody debris. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-38. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. p. 47-48.