Harmon, M. E. (2001): Moving towards a new paradigm for woody detritus management. Ecological Bulletins 49: 269-278.

Moving towards a new paradigm for woody detritus management
Mark E. Harmon

In the last decade, woody detritus, particularly the coarse fraction, has become an important focus of many scientific and management questions. Although the role of this material in providing habitat and carbon cycling is generally understood, perspectives on its role in nutrient cycling are still evolving. Based on what is known to date, forest managers are moving away from a "blanket" removal of all the woody detritus possible to leaving and even enhancing the amounts in forests. This leaves open the question of how much woody detritus is required to sustain ecosystem functions. Initially this has been solved by the application of static minimum standards based on a set of general objectives, but in the future a more dynamic and specific objective-oriented approach should be developed. The increasing number of studies on tree mortality and decomposition are giving a global view of how these processes vary with forest type and climate. These data also provide the basis for a dynamic rather than a static approach to the management of woody detritus. However, to be successful, this perspective must be coupled with a detailed understanding of how certain species and ecosystem processes vary with the amount of woody detritus.