Modeling production and decay of coarse woody debris in loblolly pine plantations

Forest management can have large impacts on the production and yield of coarse woody debris (CWD) in terrestrial ecosystems, yet few modeling tools exist to inform such efforts. The goal here was to develop a set of prediction equations for use in conjunction with loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) modeling and inventory systems to estimate CWD yields at scales ranging from individual trees to whole plantations. Permanent field plots from a 21-year study of thinning effects on plantation growth and yield across the commercial range of the species in the southern United States were surveyed to obtain sample data on CWD volume, density, and mass. Measured CWD properties were combined with inventory records of tree mortality over the study duration to characterize CWD production, decay and yield in a series of prediction equations. The resulting equations predict CWD attributes of dead trees including dry weight (kg) and fraction of standing versus downed woody material based on the time since death (years), tree diameter at breast height (cm) and height (m) at time of death and geographic coordinates of latitude and longitude. A stand-level equation predicts total CWD yield (Mg ha⁻¹) for thinned or unthinned stands based on plantation age, stem density (trees ha⁻¹), and the average height of dominant and codominant trees (m). Piece-level equations predict dry density (kg m⁻³) or nitrogen concentration (%) of CWD pieces based on their position (standing or down), ordinal decay classes, and latitude. The tree and stand-level prediction equations are designed for use in GIS or growth and yield modeling systems. The piece-level equations are designed to be used in inventory applications that survey CWD. The equations should facilitate the accurate and facile determination of mass, carbon, and nitrogen contents of CWD in planted loblolly pine forests of the southern United States.