Dead Woody Material Research Articles

Forest-associated habitat variables influence human-tick encounters in the southeastern United States.

Due to the increased frequency of human-tick encounters and expanding ranges of ticks in the United States, there is a critical need to identify environmental conditions associated with tick populations and their likelihood to contact human hosts. In a passive tick surveillance partnership with the US Department of Agriculture Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, we identified environmental variables associated with tick encounters by forestry personnel. Ticks were identified by species and life stage, and site-specific variables were associated with each tick using FIA forest inventory datasets and generalized linear models with negative binomial distributions. Of the 55 FIA variables available, we identified biotic and abiotic environmental variables associated with Amblyomma americanum L. (carbon in litter material and standing dead tree aboveground dry biomass), Dermacentor variabilis Say (seedling species unevenness and elevation), and Ixodes scapularis L. (carbon in dead woody material and seedling species unevenness). We propose conducting future treatment-control studies using these forestry-related environmental variables to test their ability to alter tick abundance at sites. Land management decisions not only affect common flora and fauna, but changes to these habitats can also alter the way ticks parasitize hosts and use vegetation to find those hosts. These results can be used with land management decisions to prevent future human-tick encounters and highlight risk areas.

Fuel Dynamics Following Wildfire in US Northern Rockies Forests

Accumulation of dead woody material is a critical management concern following wildfires, especially given the possibility of subsequent wildfires. Forest structure and fuel accumulation are largely driven by site climatic conditions, so variability in site conditions is important to consider in management beyond the one-size fits all model for post-fire fuel dynamics. Moreover, dead woody material provides important ecological functions for forested ecosystems. Understanding when surface fuels biomass is highest following wildfires and how these dynamics change after repeated fires affords land management agencies opportunities to adjust fuel reduction strategies without removing large quantities of dead trees that are important in these post-fire landscapes for a variety of ecosystem services, including wildlife, water and nutrient retention, and soil stabilization. Here, we examined how surface fuels and standing dead trees change over time, by burn severity, site climate, and with repeated fires at seven different years since- fire (1-24 years) across 182 sites from ten wildfires in central Idaho. Downed woody fuel loads were higher on moister and cooler sites. Large-diameter woody fuels saw significant increases after about 14 years post-fire while smaller woody fuels had the highest loads at 20 years post-fire. Surface fuel loads varied by burn severity and years since fires, with the highest loadings at longer years since fire and sites burned in stand replacing fire. Litter and duff had not sufficiently accumulated to compensate for continued decomposition, resulting in lower forest floor biomass through 24 years post fire. Density of snags of all sizes generally declined after 7-9 years, but large diameter snags were still standing 24 years post fire. Repeated fires resulted in >40% reduction in both surface fuels and standing trees compared to once-burned areas at the same years since fire. Burned landscapes can serve a great ecological benefit by providing an infusion of both standing and downed dead woody debris. Additionally, though some sites burned in stand replacing fires exceed recommended surface fuel loadings, these ecological considerations should be weighed against concerns about reburning potential and fire fighter hazards.

Woody material structural degradation through decomposition on the forest floor

Dead woody material (DWM) plays numerous important roles in forest ecosystems; however, through the process of decomposition, it undergoes structural and chemical changes that progressively alter its function in these roles. Much remains unknown about how DWM mechanical strength and structural integrity change through decomposition in natural forest settings. We assessed changes in wood strength (bending strength, compressive strength, and surface hardness) using standard wood stakes of known initial mass from three species. The stakes were placed in forested settings for two and four years before collection for laboratory analyses. All three strength metrics decreased as stakes lost mass due to decay; however, bending strength had the strongest relationship with mass loss, a result that was consistent for all species, as well as species-pooled data. Results for all strength-loss metrics indicate that stakes had experienced ca. 10% strength loss before any detectable mass loss had occurred. Further, our results suggest that the decay class system typically used during field inventories — based in large part on tactile assessments of wood structural integrity — may provide a reasonable characterization of DWM mass loss, which is a critical assumption for carbon accounting and modelling based on inventory data.

Rutstroemia johnstonii .

Abstract A description is provided for Rutstroemia johnstonii [ Dencoeliopsis johnstonii ], which is fungicolous, and apparently very specific in its host species, which itself grows on dead woody material of Betula spp. Some information on its associated organisms and substrata, habitats, dispersal and transmission, and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (North America (Canada (British Columbia)), Europe (Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Russia (Leningrad oblast, Tver oblast), Spain, Sweden, UK)). No evaluation has been made of any possible positive economic impact of this fungus and no reports of negative economic impacts have been found.

Exosporium tiliae . [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria

Abstract A description is provided for Exosporium tiliae . Some information on its dispersal and transmission, associated organisms (including Tilia sp.), and conservation status is given, along with details of its habitat and geographical distribution: Asia (Armenia and Georgia), India (Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh), Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia (Amur oblast, Khabarovsk krai and Primorsky krai), Europe: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia (Leninggradskaya oblast, Republic of Karelia and Tambov oblast), Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Ukraine, North America: Canada (Ontario and Quebec), USA (Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin). Conidia of this species are produced on dead woody material, but there in no information about colonization or relations with the colonized tissues.

Effect of long-term understory prescribed burning on standing and down dead woody material in dry upland oak forests

Dead woody material, long ignored or viewed as a nuisance for forest management, has gained appreciation for its many roles in the forest including wildlife habitat, nutrient storage and cycling, energy for trophic webs, protection of soil, fuel for fire and carbon storage. The growing interest in managing dead woody material has created strong demand for greater understanding of factors controlling amounts and turnover. Prescribed burning, an important management tool, may have strong effects of dead woody material given fire’s capacity to create and consume dead woody material. We determined effects of long-term understory prescribed burning on standing and down woody material in upland oak forests in south-central North America. We hypothesized that as frequency of fire increased in these stands the amount of deadwood would decrease and the fine woody material would decrease more rapidly than coarse woody material. The study was conducted in forests dominated by post oak (Quercus stellata) and blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) in wildlife management areas where understory prescribed burning had been practiced for over 20years and the range of burn frequencies was 0 (unburned) fires per decade (FPD) to 4.6 FPD. The amount of deadwood was low compared with more productive forests in southeastern North America. The biomass (24.7Mgha−1) and carbon stocks (11.7Mgha−1) were distributed among standing dead (22%), coarse woody debris (CWD, dia.>7.5cm., 12%), fine woody debris (FWD, dia.⩽7.5cm., 23%), and forest floor (43%). There was no evidence that understory prescribed burning influenced the amount and size distribution of standing and down dead woody material. There were two explanations for the lack of a detectable effect. First, a high incidence of severe weather including ice storms and strong winds that produce large amounts of deadwood intermittently in an irregular pattern across the landscape may preclude detecting a strong effect of understory prescribed burning. Second, fire suppression during the first one-half of the 20th Century may have led to encroachment of woody plants into forest gaps and savannas creating a patchwork of young and old stands that produced deadwood of different sizes and at different rates.

Phaeosphaeria vagans . [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria

Abstract A description is provided for Phaeosphaeria vagans , a saprobe, predominantly on grass stems, with some records on other non-woody plants, and a few records on dead woody material. Some information on its substrata, habitat, dispersal and transmission and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Africa (Algeria, Morocco), North America (Canada (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan), USA (Alaska, Idaho, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Washington)), South America (Argentina (Tierra del Fuego), Brazil (Bahia), Chile (Región de Magallanes y de la Antárctica Chilena)), Antarctica (South Shetland Islands), Asia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan (Alma-Atynskaya oblast), China (Hunan, Jiangsu, Liaoning), India (Uttar Pradesh), Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), Australasia (New Zealand), Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway (including Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Poland, Portugal, Russia (Lipetskaya oblast, Moskovskaya oblast, Voronezhskaya oblast), Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK)).

Dendryphion comosum . [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria

Abstract A description is provided for Dendryphion comosum , a saprobe, almost always on herbaceous stems, predominantly of Urtica and some members of the Apiaceae, with occasional observations on other herbs and on dead woody material. Some information on its substrata, habitats, economic impacts, dispersal and transmission and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi), Central America (Costa Rica), North America (Canada (British Columbia), Mexico, USA (Florida)), South America (Brazil (Sao Paulo)), Asia (China, Georgia, India (Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu), Iran, Taiwan), Australasia (Australia (Queensland), New Zealand), Caribbean (Cuba), Europe (Belgium, former Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK)).

Leptosphaeria acuta . [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria

Abstract A description is provided for Leptosphaeria acuta , a saprobe, almost always on stems of Urtica (particularly the lower parts), with occasional observations on other herbs and on dead woody material. Some information on its substrata, habitats, dispersal and transmission and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (North America (Canada (British Columbia), USA (Alaska, California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Washington)), Asia (Armenia, India (Himachal Pradesh)), Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia (Pskovskaya oblast), Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK)).

Association between coarse woody debris and small mammals and insectivores in managed forests

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is generally considered dead woody material in various stages of forest decomposition and has been hypothesized to be an important habitat feature for mammals in forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA. Sherman and pitfall trapping were conducted for 2 years on three paired sites with low and high amounts of CWD. Deer mice was the dominant species with a total capture of 605 (45.6%). Four species of insectivores were captured, including Sorex moncicolus, S. trowbridgii, S. vagrans, and Neurotrichus gibbsii. A Poisson regression model was used to test whether 11 CWD variables could predict insectivore captures. The volume of logs and mean decay were important variables for deer mice use of CWD. Mean distance from pieces of CWD to the capture point was significantly related to the total number of captures of trowbridge shrew (Sorex trowbridgii) and all insectivore species. Vagrant shrews (Sorex vagrans) were significantly associated with log volume. Retaining large size CWD should be part of a management plan for ground-dwelling insectivores in forests to secure their biodiversity.

Carbon dynamics of North American boreal forest after stand replacing wildfire and clearcut logging

Boreal forest carbon (C) storage and sequestration is a critical element for global C management and is largely disturbance driven. The disturbance regime can be natural or anthropogenic with varying intensity and frequency that differ temporally and spatially the boreal forest. The objective of this review was to synthesize the literature on C dynamics of North American boreal forests after most common disturbances, stand replacing wildfire and clearcut logging. Forest ecosystem C is stored in four major pools: live biomass, dead biomass, organic soil horizons, and mineral soil. Carbon cycling among these pools is inter-related and largely determined by disturbance type and time since disturbance. Following a stand replacing disturbance, (1) live biomass increases rapidly leading to the maximal biomass stage, then stabilizes or slightly declines at old-growth or gap dynamics stage at which late-successional tree species dominate the stand; (2) dead woody material carbon generally follows a U-shaped pattern during succession; (3) forest floor carbon increases throughout stand development; and (4) mineral soil carbon appears to be more or less stable throughout stand development. Wildfire and harvesting differ in many ways, fire being more of a chemical and harvesting a mechanical disturbance. Fire consumes forest floor and small live vegetation and foliage, whereas logging removes large stems. Overall, the effects of the two disturbances on C dynamics in boreal forest are poorly understood. There is also a scarcity of literature dealing with C dynamics of plant coarse and fine roots, understory vegetation, small-sized and buried dead material, forest floor, and mineral soil.

Detrital carbon pools in temperate forests: magnitude and potential for landscape-scale assessment

Reliably estimating carbon storage and cycling in detrital biomass is an obstacle to carbon accounting. We examined carbon pools and fluxes in three small temperate forest landscapes to assess the magnitude of carbon stored in detrital biomass and determine whether detrital carbon storage is related to stand structural properties (leaf area, aboveground biomass, primary production) that can be estimated by remote sensing. We characterized these relationships with and without forest age as an additional predictive variable. Results depended on forest type. Carbon in dead woody debris was substantial at all sites, accounting for ∼17% of aboveground carbon, whereas carbon in forest floor was substantial in the subalpine Rocky Mountains (36% of aboveground carbon) and less important in northern hardwoods of New England and mixed forests of the upper Midwest (∼7%). Relationships to aboveground characteristics accounted for between 38% and 59% of the variability in carbon stored in forest floor and between 21% and 71% of the variability in carbon stored in dead woody material, indicating substantial differences among sites. Relating dead woody debris or forest floor carbon to other aboveground characteristics and (or) stand age may, in some forest types, provide a partial solution to the challenge of assessing fine-scale variability.

Effect of the estimation of forest management and decay of dead woody material on the reliability of carbon stock and carbon stock changes—A simulation study

The IPCC-GPG on Greenhouse Gas Monitoring offers countries several options for reporting. The current study selected management effects and decay of dead woody material to demonstrate the dependence of different approaches and assumptions for carbon stock and carbon stock change estimates. For a given set of inventory data the reported change of carbon stock varied between 3.1 tonnes C ha −1 yr −1and 34.4 tonnes C ha −1 yr −1 for a 10-year period. Based on the available data set from a test area in the federal state of Salzburg (Austria) the effect of different scenarios for harvesting operations and mortality on reported carbon release was studied. The scenarios covered timber utilization at different points in time and two mortality rates (constant and exponential). A proportion of harvesting was assumed to remain inside the forest as logging residues and entered together with mortality a decay process. Two different lifetimes for decay (10 and 50 years) and constant and negative exponential decay rates were simulated. Those decisions affect the amount of carbon released considerably. For a 10-year period between 5% and 80% of the carbon content of dead woody material that accumulated within the period is released to the atmosphere.

National inventories of down and dead woody material forest carbon stocks in the United States: Challenges and opportunities

Concerns over the effect of greenhouse gases and consequent international agreements and regional/national programs have spurred the need for comprehensive assessments of forest ecosystem carbon stocks. Down and dead woody (DDW) materials are a substantial component of forest carbon stocks; however, few surveys of DDW carbon stocks have been conducted at national-scales around the world. This study uses the DDW survey of the United States as a case study to examine the challenges of inventorying DDW at a national scale, reviews how dead wood carbon pools are currently estimated in the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGHGI), and suggests opportunities for improving such inventories. The US currently estimates national DDW carbon stocks using models with standing live tree attributes as predictor variables, calibrated using preliminary DDW field estimates. In recent years, implementation of a national DDW inventory has resulted in inventory-based DDW estimates. National field-based DDW estimates follow the national patterns of DDW carbon dispersion seen in earlier model-based estimates. Although the current DDW inventory provides fairly repeatable measurements within a statistically defensible national sample design for producing national estimates of DDW carbon stocks, improving numerous aspects of the DDW survey would may improve the accuracy and precision of C estimates reported in the NGHGI.

Woody debris stocks in different secondary and primary forests in the subtropical Ailao Mountains, southwest China

AbstractWoody debris (WD), including coarse woody debris (CWD) and fine woody debris (FWD), is an essential structural and functional component of many ecosystems, particularly in montane forests. CWD is considered to be the major part in forest WD and it is primarily composed of logs, snags, stumps and large branches, while FWD mainly consists of small twigs. Attributes of dead woody material may change in accordance with trends in stand dynamics. The primary forest (primary montane moist evergreen broad‐leaved forest) in Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve (NNR) preserves the largest tract of natural vegetation in China. The Alnus nepalensis (D. Don) association, Populus bonatii (Levl.) association and secondary Lithocarpus association represent the secondary and chronological types following human disturbance by fires and logging under different intensity. The mass and composition of coarse woody debris (CWD, ≥10 cm in diameter) and fine woody debris (FWD, 2.5–10 cm in diameter) were inventoried in a primary forest and its three secondary counterparts. Estimates of total mass of woody debris across secondary types to primary forest ranged from 2.4 to 74.9 Mg ha−1. The lowest value was found in the A. nepalensis association and the highest values were in the primary forest of which logs are the considerable differences. The ratios of CWD to FWD were low in the secondary types (about 1–4) but high in the primary forest (above 15). Our results suggested that for the recovery of woody debris in the secondary forest, it might last longer than the age of the oldest successional stage studied.

Effect of thinning and prescribed fire restoration treatments on woody debris and snag dynamics in a Sierran old-growth, mixed-conifer forest

Forest managers have little information of the effects of common restoration treatments, thinning and burning, on dead woody material (DWM) dynamics in fire-suppressed forests. Fine woody debris (FWD; 0.6–29.9 cm), coarse woody debris (CWD; ≥30.0 cm), and snags (≥5 cm) were inventoried and mapped in eighteen 4 ha plots before and after applying thinning (overstory, understory, and no thinning) and burning (burn and no burn) treatments. The combination of burning and thinning reduced FWD and CWD quantity and mean piece size, removed highly decayed logs, and increased small (5.0–24.9 cm) snag recruitment. In contrast, thin-only treatments produced similar results but increased FWD and did not remove many small snags. There were no differences in DWM response between the two thinning treatments. Log and snag spatial patterns prior to and following treatment were similar. These results indicate that burning in combination with thinning is more effective at reducing surface FWD and CWD, and removing small trees than are burn-only and thin-only treatments. Although large snags and logs were consumed in the burn, long-term recruitment of these habitat structures relies on managers retaining large-diameter trees. Repeated burns need to be conducted after initial restoration treatments to understand natural patterns of DWM.

A relation between historical forest use and current dead woody material in a boreal protected old-growth forest in Finland

Assessing the human impact on the naturalness and vegetation characteristics of protected areas is one of the key issues when designing forest conservation networks in Fennoscandia. We studied the small-scale, detailed relationship between forest utilization history and the current availability of dead woody material in a protected old-growth forest area in North Karelia, eastern Finland. From the study area of 32.4 ha, all the stumps (diameter ≥ 5 cm and height < 1.3 m, classified as natural, man-made and of undetermined origin) were measured using 25 x 25 m sub-plots. Standing and fallen dead trees (dbh ≥ 5 cm) were measured on 50 x 50 m plots in an area of 7.8 ha. The average number of stumps was 130 per ha, and over half of the stumps were classified as man-made. However, the historical documents since the 1910s showed no logging in the area: some of the largest man-made stumps probably originated from an earlier time, but most of those stumps were made considerably later. The variation in the total number of stumps (per ha) was great (range 0–560/ha, 0–16 m2/ha), with no clear clustering in space. However, clustering of man-made stumps was detected. The average volume of pooled standing and fallen trees was 84 m3/ha, with a range of 37–146 m3/ha. The other noticeable man-made disturbance besides logging was notching of aspens, which has a scatteredly significant influence on the amount of dead trees. In conclusion, the protected old-growth forest was not as a whole in a natural state but showed different degrees of human impact from virtually untouched patches to quite heavily managed patches. The results suggest that the number of man-made stumps may be a relatively quick and easy method of assessing the naturalness of woody biomass structure in the Fennoscandian boreal forests.

Distribution and annual net accumulation of above-ground dead phytomass and its influence on throughfall quality in a Mexican tropical deciduous forest ecosystem

The amount and annual net accumulation of above-ground dead woody material were quantified in a tropical deciduous forest in western Mexico. Three plots were located within a small watershed (16 ha) and distributed along a 150-m-elevation gradient (Upper, Middle and Lower plot). Total amount of above-ground dead phytomass (fine + coarse) was 27.2 Mg ha-1. Coarse dead category (branches + logs) made up 70.6% (19.2 Mg ha-1) of the total. The rest comprised the fine fraction, which was lying on the forest floor as surface litter. Of the total coarse dead woody mass, 70.8% was standing, hanging or still attached to live trees (13.6 Mg ha-1). Dead wood net accumulation was 6.6 Mg ha-1 y-1; 58% of this was coarse woody material and the rest comprised the fine litterfall fraction. The amount of standing, hanging/attached dead branches (2-20 cm circumference) varied significantly among plots, with the highest value in the Upper plot. Dead wood net accumulation was similar between the Upper and Middle plots, and significantly higher than the Lower plot. Compared to the intact canopy, the removal of dead mass (hanging/attached dead branches and standing dead logs) caused a significant decrease in throughfall nutrient concentration and nutrient flux by this pathway.

CHARACTERISTICS AND ORIGINS OF DEADWOOD MATERIAL IN ASPEN-DOMINATED BOREAL FORESTS

This study examines the densities, physical structure, and origins of snags and downed woody material (DWM) in young (20-30 yr), mature (50-65 yr), and old stands (120+ yr) in aspen-dominated (Populus tremuloides Michx.) boreal forests of north- eastern Alberta. Nearest neighbor and line intercept techniques were used to sample trees, snags, and DWM. Overall snag densities (?10 cm diameter at breast height) were greater in mature and old stands. Overall coarse DWM (>1 1 cm diameter) counts were greater in young and old stands; volume of coarse DWM was greater in old stands. Analysis of spatial components of variation suggested that fires produced initially heterogeneous patterns in the densities of trees and dead woody material. The degree of spatial heterogeneity within and among stands decreased as stands developed to maturity. As a stand developed from maturity to old age, densities of trees and dead woody material retained spatial homogeneity within stands; however, they became more heterogeneous among stands. Comparisons of size distributions and decay patterns indicated that in young stands approximately (X + 1 SE) 19.1 ? 13.0 snags/ha (53.9%) and 48.5 + 11.9 m3/ha of coarse DWM (79.2%) were derived from the prefire cohort of trees. Mature stands had 3.8 ? 4.0 snags/ha (5.8%) prefire snags. However, 50.4 + 6.4 m3/ha coarse DWM were classified as prefire in origin (65.7%). In old stands, snags and coarse DWM were probably generated from the postfire cohort of trees. In general, the diversity of sizes and decay patterns of snags and DWM within stands was largely due to the mix of prefire materials and the postfire materials generated by self-thinning and senescence/death of large trees. To simulate some of the conditions that occur after natural disturbances such as wildfires, timber harvest strategies should, in part, attempt to maintain the biological legacy associated with dead- wood materials.

Characteristics and Origins of Deadwood Material in Aspen-Dominated Boreal Forests

This study examines the densities, physical structure, and origins of snags and downed woody material (DWM) in young (20–30 yr), mature (50–65 yr), and old stands (120+ yr) in aspen-dominated (Populus tremuloides Michx.) boreal forests of northeastern Alberta. Nearest neighbor and line intercept techniques were used to sample trees, snags, and DWM. Overall snag densities (≥10 cm diameter at breast height) were greater in mature and old stands. Overall coarse DWM (≥11 cm diameter) counts were greater in young and old stands; volume of coarse DWM was greater in old stands. Analysis of spatial components of variation suggested that fires produced initially heterogeneous patterns in the densities of trees and dead woody material. The degree of spatial heterogeneity within and among stands decreased as stands developed to maturity. As a stand developed from maturity to old age, densities of trees and dead woody material retained spatial homogeneity within stands; however, they became more heterogeneous among stands. Comparisons of size distributions and decay patterns indicated that in young stands approximately (X¯ ± 1 se) 19.1 ± 13.0 snags/ha (53.9%) and 48.5 ± 11.9 m3/ha of coarse DWM (79.2%) were derived from the prefire cohort of trees. Mature stands had 3.8 ± 4.0 snags/ha (5.8%) prefire snags. However, 50.4 ± 6.4 m3/ha coarse DWM were classified as prefire in origin (65.7%). In old stands, snags and coarse DWM were probably generated from the postfire cohort of trees. In general, the diversity of sizes and decay patterns of snags and DWM within stands was largely due to the mix of prefire materials and the postfire materials generated by self-thinning and senescence/death of large trees. To simulate some of the conditions that occur after natural disturbances such as wildfires, timber harvest strategies should, in part, attempt to maintain the biological legacy associated with deadwood materials.