Dataset associated with Floodplain large wood and organic matter jam formation after a large flood: investigating the influence of floodplain forest stand characteristics and river corridor morphology

This dataset is associated with the article in review titled, "Floodplain large wood and organic matter jam formation after a large flood: investigating the influence of floodplain forest stand characteristics and river corridor morphology." The controls on LW and CPOM deposition on floodplains have rarely been assessed, and there are relatively few studies that explore the bi-directional interactions between wood, standing trees, and geomorphic processes. We use field data from West Creek, Colorado, to assess the influence of river corridor morphology and forest stand density on the depositional patterns of floodplain LW and CPOM accumulations (i.e., jams) resulting from a large flood. Average LW loads per area (mean ± SE = 678.6 ± 192.3 m3 ha-1; median = 382.1 m3 ha-1) were much higher than most previously published values from other environments, pointing to the importance of large disturbances delivering LW to floodplains. CPOM loads per area averaged 10.7 ± 4.8 m3 ha-1 (median = 5.0 m3 ha-1), and LW jam count per area (70.4 ± 0.2 jams ha-1) was higher than CPOM jam count per area (19.0 ± 3.7 jams ha-1). We find that LW jams decreased in size with distance from and height above the channel, but that CPOM jams did not. Steeper reaches contained lower amounts of LW load per area, and as forest stand density increased, the number of CPOM jams per area increased. A majority of jams were pinned by standing trees. LW and CPOM provide habitat and nutrients to river corridor ecosystems and influence geomorphic processes. Floodplain LW and CPOM provide an opportunity to promote ecological processes in river corridors while reducing potential hazards caused by in-channel LW.