Decomposition rates of coarse woody debris—A review with particular emphasis on Australian tree species

We reviewed the decay patterns and lifetimes (time to reach 95% mass loss) of coarse woody debris (CWD) on the forest floor. The objectives were to identify the factors influencing the decomposition process of CWD and to provide estimates of lifetimes for CWD from Australian tree species. This information is required for greenhouse accounting of forestry activities and land use change as well as the sustainable management of CWD in forest ecosystems. The analysis of a global data set on decay rates of CWD showed that, in particular, the mean annual temperature was a main driver of decomposition, accounting for 34% of the variation in decay rates. The Q10, the factor by which biological processes accelerate when temperature increases by 10�C, was 2.53. Additional determinants of CWD decay rates were the initial density of wood and the diameter of logs. Median and average lifetimes derived from 184 decay rates were 49 and 92 years, respectively, which is considerably higher than the 10-year default for all litter proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The pattern of decay in most cases followed a negative exponential curve. To overcome the paucity of information on decomposition of CWD in Australian forests and woodlands, decay rates for a large number of species were derived from wood durability and decay resistance studies. For native Australian species, lifetimes ranged from 7 years in Eucalyptus regnans to 375 years in E. camaldulensis. The lifetimes for timber durability Classes 1–4 were 54, 39, 26 and 11 years, respectively, below 30� latitude and without the influence of termites. However, the experimental conditions under which durability and decay resistance are commonly determined are substantially different from the situation under which CWD decomposes in the field. These estimates must therefore be regarded as minimum lifetimes for CWD of most species. To determine decay rates of CWD with greater certainty, long-term field experiments in a wide range of ecosystems are required.

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Decay rates of above- and below-ground coarse woody debris of common tree species in New Zealand’s natural forest

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2018.12.013 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 438 ◽

pp. 96-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Loretta G. Garrett ◽

Mark O. Kimberley ◽

Graeme R. Oliver ◽

Mallory Parks ◽

Stephen H. Pearce ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Decay Rates ◽

Natural Forest ◽

Below Ground ◽

Common Tree

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Coarse woody debris decay rates for seven indigenous tree species in the central North Island of New Zealand

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2008.05.036 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 256 (4) ◽

pp. 548-557 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

P.N. Beets ◽

I.A. Hood ◽

M.O. Kimberley ◽

G.R. Oliver ◽

S.H. Pearce ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Tree Species ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Decay Rates ◽

Indigenous Tree Species

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Effects of moisture, temperature and decomposition stage on respirational carbon loss from coarse woody debris (CWD) of important European tree species

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1080/02827581.2012.747622 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 346-357 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Steffen Herrmann ◽

Jürgen Bauhus

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Carbon Loss ◽

Decomposition Stage

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Epixylic vegetation abundance, diversity, and composition vary with coarse woody debris decay class and substrate species in boreal forest

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2017-0283 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 399-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Praveen Kumar ◽

Han Y.H. Chen ◽

Sean C. Thomas ◽

Chander Shahi

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Boreal Forest ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Percent Cover ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Decay Class ◽

Wide Range

Although the importance of coarse woody debris (CWD) to understory species diversity has been recognized, the combined effects of CWD decay and substrate species on abundance and species diversity of epixylic vegetation have received little attention. We sampled a wide range of CWD substrate species and decay classes, as well as forest floors in fire-origin boreal forest stands. Percent cover, species richness, and evenness of epixylic vegetation differed significantly with both CWD decay class and substrate species. Trends in cover, species richness, and evenness differed significantly between nonvascular and vascular taxa. Cover, species richness, and species evenness of nonvascular species were higher on CWD, whereas those of vascular plants were higher on the forest floor. Epixylic species composition also varied significantly with stand ages, overstory compositions, decay classes, substrate species, and their interactions. Our findings highlight strong interactive influences of decay class and substrate species on epixylic plant communities and suggest that conservation of epixylic diversity would require forest managers to maintain a diverse range of CWD decay classes and substrate species. Because stand development and overstory compositions influence CWD decay classes and substrate species, as well as colonization time and environmental conditions in the understory, our results indicate that managed boreal landscapes should consist of a mosaic of different successional stages and a broad suite of overstory types to support diverse understory plant communities.

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Dissolved nitrogen release from coarse woody debris of different tree species in the early phase of decomposition

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2014.09.015 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 334 ◽

pp. 277-283 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

A. Bantle ◽

W. Borken ◽

E. Matzner

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Early Phase ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Nitrogen Release ◽

Dissolved Nitrogen

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Basidiomycete decay fungi within stems of Nothofagus windfalls in a Southern Hemisphere beech forest

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x08-041 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 38 (7) ◽

pp. 1897-1910 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

I. A. Hood ◽

P. N. Beets ◽

J. F. Gardner ◽

M. O. Kimberley ◽

M. W.P. Power ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Southern Hemisphere ◽

Tree Species ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Beech Forest ◽

Study Data ◽

Decay Fungi ◽

Mean Diameter

Fungi were isolated to determine the predominant decomposer species active in the coarse woody debris in a beech forest in the central North Island of New Zealand. Basidiomycetes were obtained in 55% of 4569 isolation attempts from discs cut from six trees each of Nothofagus fusca (Hook. F.) Oerst. and Nothofagus menziesii (Hook. F.) Oerst. uprooted during a storm 24 years earlier. Percentage yields varied significantly among trees but not between tree species. However, for N. fusca, basidiomycetes were obtained less frequently from stems of greater mean diameter. In total, 96% of basidiomycete isolates were composed of 18 species, the most abundant being Armillaria novae-zelandiae (G. Stev.) Herink, mainly present in the outer 12 cm, and Ganoderma cf. applanatum sensu Wakef. and Cyclomyces tabacinus (Mont.) Pat., which penetrated more deeply. These fungi were distributed along the stems as somatically incompatible colonies reaching lengths of 11, 2, and 3 m for each species, respectively; those of G. cf. applanatum were separated by brown pseudosclerotial plates. Fruiting of these species was significantly associated with isolation of cultures and, for G. cf. applanatum and C. tabacinus, provided a reliable guide to stem colonization. Basidiomycete diversity in the Nothofagus stems was greater than in two podocarp species in an earlier study. Data from this investigation are being used to assess how decay fungi, together with other factors, influence rates of decomposition of indigenous coarse woody debris.

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Substrate properties, forest structure and climate influences wood-inhabiting fungal diversity in broadleaved and mixed forests from Northeastern Romania

Forest Systems ◽

10.5424/fs/2020293-16728 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. e021

Author(s):

Ovidiu Copoț ◽

Cătălin Tănase

Keyword(s):

Snow Cover ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Fungal Diversity ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Aridity Index ◽

Basal Area ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Mixed Forests ◽

Fine Woody Debris ◽

Precipitation Seasonality

Aim of the study: The main objective of this study was to find the factors which best explains the wood-inhabiting fungal species’ richness in beech and oak-dominated forests.Area of study: We focused on broadleaved and mixed forests found in Northeastern Romania.Materials and methods: 59 plots were randomly set up in broadleaved and mixed forest stands, in which vegetation structure, composition, and topoclimatic factors were quantified along with wood-inhabiting fungal richness. Generalized linear models were used to characterize relationship between fungal diversity and biotic and abiotic factors.Main results: 374 taxa were identified, with numerous species found to cohabitate, the highest sharing being between Fine Woody Debris and Downed Coarse Woody Debris. The best predictors of total diversity were related to the substrate, management, stand structure, and macroclimate. Higher volumes of logs and large branches in various decay stages increased fungal richness. The same effect was found in diverse forests, with large snags. Macroclimate and topoclimate positively influenced diversity, through De Martonne Aridity Index and snow cover length, both indicating macrofungi preferences for higher moisture of substrate. Silvicultural interventions had an ambivalent effect to fungal diversity, phenomenon observed through stump numbers and proportion.Research highlights: Particular environmental characteristics proved significantly important in explaining different wood-inhabiting fungal richness patterns. Substrate-related variables were the most common ones found, but they were closely linked to climate and forest stand variables.Keywords: Wood-inhabiting fungi; oak, beech and coniferous forests; substrate diversity; dead wood types; coarse woody debris; fine woody debris; climatic variables.Abbreviations used:ALT, elevation; ASPI, Aspect Index; BIO1, mean annual temperature; BIO4, temperature seasonality; BIO7, annual temperature range; BIO12, annual precipitation; BIO15, precipitation seasonality; CWD, coarse woody debris; DBH, diameter at breast height; DCWD, downed coarse woody debris; DCWD_DECAY, DCWD decay diversity; DCWD_DIV, DCWD taxonomic diversity; DCWD_SV, surface-volume ratio of DCWD; DCWD_VOL, DCWD volume; DMAI, De Martonne Aridity Index; DMAI_AU, Autumn DMAI; DMAI_SP, Spring DMAI; DMAI_SU, Summer DMAI; DMAI_WI, Winter DMAI; FAI, Forestry Aridity Index; FWD, fine woody debris; L_SNAG_BA, large snag basal area; OLD_BA, basal area of old trees; POI, Positive Openness Index; RAI, Recent Activity Index; SCL, snow cover length; SLOPE, slope; SNAG_N, snag density; STUMP_N, stump density; TPI, Topographic Position Index; TREE_BA, mean basal area of trees; TREE_DIV, tree' Shannon diversity.

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