Having fallen in love with bracket fungi, an order of Basidiomycetes called Aphyllophorales, and family called Polyporaceae, I chose to study manifestations and effects they create in northern Michigan woodlands. ...I was (and am) so motivated by the idea of decomposition, rot, and nutrient cycling. The decay class system that I developed in this study is based on observations of coarse woody debris in red pine plantations and published information. Red pine decay class I is defined by no appreciable decay, fine twigs and needles remain, the bark cover is complete, and the wood is sound. Decay class II is slightly decayed and most of the bark is present. There are no fine twigs or needles, and fungal fruiting bodies are often present on the bark. Wood is moderately decayed in class III, some may be sloughing off where the bark is absent. The sapwood and heartwood are beginning to show signs of decay. In decay class IV, the log cannot support itself and begins to have an elliptical cross section. Frequently all of the bark is missing, and there are no branches, twigs, or stubs. The wood crumbles cuboidally, and the heartwood is a deep red-brown. The final class has no bark whatsoever and the wood is red and powdery. A log has an elliptical cross section, no discernible ring structure, and is detected by the outline of moss and/or the row of red pine seedlings on the forest floor above the log.