“…Decomposing woody debris also appears to be an important site of nitrogen fixation and immobilization (e.g., Buckley and Triska, 1978;Aumen et al, 1983Aumen et al, , 1985aAumen et al, , 1985bBaker et al, 1983;Melillo et al, 1983) and, in addition woody debris creates habitat for aquatic organisms (Anderson and Sedell, 1979;Molles, 1982). Finally, fine particles eroded from the surface of decomposing wood may contribute significantly to the fine organic matter pool and provide a food source for downstream communities (Naiman and Sedell, 1979;Ward and Aumen, 1986).…”