Dating tree mortality using log decay in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

Coarse woody material (CWM) is an important component of forest ecosystems. To meet specific CWM management objectives, it is important to understand rates of decay. We present results from a silvicultural trial at the Bartlett Experimental Forest, in which time of death is known for a large sample of trees. Either a simple table or regression equations that use diameter, species group, and decay class can be used to predict time since mortality for a given log.

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