Use of coarse woody debris by the plant community of a Hawaiian montane cloud forest

Many species of woody plants in Hawaiian montane forests germinate on nurse logs or epiphytically, often developing aerial roots. This study investiga ted the role of fallen logs, wood fragments, and other forms of coarse wood y debris (CWD; 35 cm diam.) in providing habitat for woody species in a for est with waterlogged soils. Oxidation-reduction potentials (Eh) of root mar s and nurse logs (-70.1 to 278.6 mV) were higher than the underlying soil h orizons (-203.6 to -128.1 mV). CWD volume varied between 135.9 and 427.9 m( 3)/ha. Live basal area varied between 18.4 and 29.7 m(2)/ha and increased w ith rural CWD volume. Seedling acid sapling abundances on nurse logs were c orrelated with moss coverage and decomposition class. Moss coverage was the only significant predictor of seedling density on nurse logs, whereas moss coverage and log volume were important for predicting sapling density. The proportion of woody plants established on logs was higher than in a younge r Hawaiian montane forest sire with well-drained soils.