Specific gravity of coarse woody debris for some central Appalachian hardwood forest species

Although coarse woody debris (CWD) may play an important role in nutrient cycling in eastern hardwood forests, it rarely is included in nutrient budgets for most ecosystems. Meaningful nutrient budgets require reliable estimates of biomass and nutrient concentrations. The CWD of 21 tree species was sampled in a central Appalachian forest within the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia. The specific gravity of CWD was determined for three decay classes.