Measurements of Coarse Woody Debris %C and %N at the Coweeta LTER Terrestrial Gradient Sites, Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory, Otto, NC.

Coarse woody debris (CWD) plays a critical role in nutrient retention and cycling, including the cycling and retention of carbon and nitrogen. However, comparison studies of CWD in different forest types and elevation gradients in the southern Appalachian Mountains are lacking. We measured CWD in five different forest communities/elevations at Coweeta Hydrologic Lab. A subsample of CWD in each plot was measured for percent C and percent N, as well as for cations.