Coarse Woody Debris in a Southern Appalachian Spruce-fir Forest of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Abstract

Abstract Spruce-fir forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains receive high atmospheric nitrogen inputs and have high nitrate levels in soil solution and streamwater. High levels of excess nitrogen have been associated with reduced tree vigor. Additionally, the balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae Ratz.) has killed the majority of endemic Fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.] trees, resulting in large amounts of coarse woody debris. As part of a biogeochemical study in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, coarse woody debris was sampled to determine volume, mass, change in density, and change in concentration and content of carbon and nitrogen over the decomposition process. Dead wood volume was highly variable across the watershed, ranging from 4.5 m3 ha−1 to 306.8 m3 ha−1 for standing boles and from 21.2 m3 ha−1 to 402.7 m3 ha−1 for down boles. Wood density decreased significantly for all three major overstory species [red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt...