Dead Wood Stocks, Fluxes, and Decomposition at Barro Colorado

Dead wood contributes to forest carbon cycling and the maintenance of biodiversity, but it remains understudied in tropical forests. Research across the Barro Colorado Nature Monument has improved our understanding of woody debris (i.e., dead wood pieces) dynamics and developed relevant methods. Dead wood inputs in this forest are similar to the average across tropical forests, but dead wood stocks are low because decomposition rates are exceptionally high. Woody debris stocks and inputs were highly aggregated in space and time, and nearly half of all wood necromass (i.e., dead wood mass) was elevated above the forest floor. From the ground to the canopy, complete turnover in microbial communities was associated with harsher microclimate and slower decomposition. Additionally, experiments showed that wood decomposition rates varied among tree species and were limited by soil nutrient availability. Ongoing work in this forest is exploring the mechanisms underlying interspecific variation in decomposition rates.