Nutrient limitation of woody debris decomposition in a tropical forest: Contrasting effects of N and P addition, Functional Ecology, 30:295 - 304, DOI: 10.1111 / 1365 - 2435.12471. (mbl.edu)
The main purpose of small woody debris on Redwood Creek is to give adequate space for small fish to remain undetected by aerial predators and provide cooler temperature waters away from direct sunlight. (parksconservancy.org)
However, only some of the stumps were above ground, meaning that 5 - 25 % of the total mass of the tree root systems consisted of coarse woody debris valuable for biodiversity. (sciencedaily.com)