In order to understand the structural and function roles played by coarse woody debris (CWD) in typically subtropical secondary-growth forests, the biomass, carbon storage and nutrient content of CWD were investigated in Jiulongjiang Forest Park, southern Hunan, China. The result showed the CWD biomass ranged from 2.8 t/hm² to 30.4 t/hm² and the carbon storage ranged from 6.095 t/hm² to 6.751 t/hm² in the study sites. The contents of other nutrients (N, P, K) were relatively stable, and the stoichiometric changes were not significant. The contents of Pb and Cd increased with the increase of decay classes. The CWD storage of the typical subtropical secondary forest in Jiulongjiang Forest Park was at a middle level when compared to the existing cases of the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests elsewhere. The CWD was mainly composed by logs in the medium- and late-decay, which reflected this forest was in the stage of young growth forest, with high carbon storage, relatively stable nutrient content. In the medium- and late-decay, the Pb content increased by 62.65% and 69.88% respectively, the Cd content increased by 33.33% and 100%, respectively, the internal mechanism of the significant accumulation of Pb and Cd in CWD needed to be further studied. The results could help us understand how CWD participates in the ecological processes such as nutrient cycling and heavy metal accumulation in forest ecosystems, help to compare the heterogeneity of CWD reserves, distribution and nutrient content under different forest disturbances history, supplement the background data of CWD's participation in the carbon cycle and carbon balance process. The results provide scientific basis for the protection and sustainable management of subtropical secondary forests.