Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii
Introductory
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Snyder, S. A. 1992. Quercus michauxii. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer).
Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [].
ABBREVIATION :
QUEMIC
SYNONYMS :
Qercus prinus L.
SCS PLANT CODE :
QUMI
COMMON NAMES :
swamp chestnut oak
basket oak
cow oak
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name for swamp chestnut oak is Quercus
michauxii Nutt. (Fagaceae) [9]. There are no recognized subspecies,
varieties, or forms. There seems to be some confusion about the use of
Q. prinus for chestnut oak, as it is also a synonym for swamp chestnut
oak [12].
Swamp chestnut oak hybridizes with white oak (Q. alba) to form Beadle
oak (Q. x beadlei Trelease ex Palmer) [12]. For more information on
swamp chestnut oak hybrids see Little [35].
LIFE FORM :
Tree
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Swamp chestnut oak occurs from Maryland south along the coast to
northern Florida, west through the Gulf Coast States to eastern Texas,
and north through eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, southeastern
Missouri, southern Illinois and Indiana, and parts of Kentucky [16].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES12 Longleaf - slash pine
FRES13 Loblolly - shortleaf pine
FRES14 Oak - pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES16 Oak - gum - cypress
FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood
FRES18 Maple - beech - birch
STATES :
AL AR FL GA IL IN KY LA MS MO
NC SC TN TX VA
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
NO-ENTRY
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K089 Blackbelt
K100 Oak - hickory forest
K101 Elm - ash forest
K102 Beech - maple forest
K112 Southern mixed forest
K113 Southern floodplain forest
K114 Pocosin
SAF COVER TYPES :
39 Black ash - American elm - red maple
44 Chestnut oak
53 White oak
57 Yellow-poplar
59 Yellow-poplar - white oak - northern red oak
63 Cottonwood
64 Sassafras - persimmon
65 Pin oak - sweet gum
70 Longleaf pine
81 Loblolly pine
82 Loblolly pine - hardwood
88 Willow oak - water oak - diamondleaf oak
89 Live oak
91 Swamp chestnut oak - cherrybark oak
92 Sweetgum - willow oak
93 Sugarberry - American elm - green ash
94 Sycamore - sweetgum - American elm
95 Black willow
96 Overcup oak - water hickory
101 Baldcypress
102 Baldcypress - tupelo
103 Water tupelo - swamp tupelo
104 Sweetbay - swamp tupelo - redbay
108 Red maple
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Swamp chestnut oak is representative of upland climax communities in the
Southeastern Coastal Plain. It is also listed in vegetation type
classifications of the southern mixed hardwood forests of central
Florida [19].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
Oak species account for one-third of the hardwood sawtimber volume in
the United States [33]. Swamp chestnut oak is a heavy, hard wood that
machines well but is subject to checking and warping if not dried
properly. It is used for flooring, furniture, boxes, crates, barrels,
kegs, ships and boats [25].
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Swamp chestnut oak acorns are an important food for a variety of birds
and mammals, including white-tailed deer, black bear, red fox, wild
turkey, northern bobwhite, waterfowl, and squirrels [1,24]. Acorns are
also used as fodder for livestock, including chickens [2]. Tannins in
the acorns can poison livestock at high concentrations.
PALATABILITY :
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Acorns are low in protein but high in fat and nitrogen-free extract.
Percent nutrient values are given below.
Source [4]: Source [24]:
crude fat 3.3 crude fat 1.8
total protein 4.1 total protein 3.1
carbohydrates 56.1 N-free extract 58.9
phosphorus 0.12 crude fiber 12.9
calcium 0.08 water content 21.3
magnesium 0.06
COVER VALUE :
The southeastern forested wetlands ecosystem, of which swamp chestnut
oak is a part, borders streams and swamps. Overhanging vegetation
provides cover and shade for fish [14]. Swamp chestnut oak also
provides cover for birds, mammals, and reptiles, some of which are
endangered species in the southern wetland ecosystems [14].
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Swamp chestnut oak has been used in restoring degraded bottomland
hardwood forests of the Southeast [21].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Although swamp chestnut oak is not endangered, much of its southern
forested wetlands habitat is being converted to agricultural land and
subdivisions [6]. Some remaining areas are in need of rejuvenation.
Clearcutting is considered the most effective way to regenerate and
rejuvenate bottomland hardwood sites [11,29]. But because of the wide
variety of site conditions in these types, proper clearcutting
techniques differ from site to site. Following clearcutting, natural
regeneration is recommended [29]. All residual stems should be removed
after commercial harvests, either by girdling, shearing, chopping, or
applying herbicides.
Management techniques for enhancing bottomland hardwood forests near
waterfowl wintering habitat include filling reservoir pools during early
fall, with drawdown beginning in mid-February [20]. Small clearcuts can
be used to release other trees, promoting growth for cover and mast for
food.
Seven years after a clearcut in a bottomland forest of Alabama, the
number of swamp chestnut oaks stems per acre doubled compared to the
preharvest stand [11].
Weevils (Curculio spp.) can infect oak acorns during light crop years
[22]. Oak species are also susceptible to a variety of insect pests,
fungi, cankers, and wilts. Refer to Solomon and others [33] for details
on how to recognize and control these diseases and pests. Oaks also
experience what is called "oak decline;" this is when a tree dies or
suffers from dieback of limbs due to environmental stresses [34].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Swamp chestnut oak is a native deciduous tree that reaches heights of 60
to 80 feet (20-25 m) and diameters of 2 to 3 feet (0.6-1 m) [30].
Maximum height is 130 feet (40 m), with a diameter of 7 feet (2.2 m).
The crown is round, compacted, and narrow. It is distinguished from
other oaks by 9 to 14 parallel lateral veins on each side of its leaves.
The underside of its leaves are hairy and about 11 inches (28 cm) wide
and 6.3 inches (16 cm) long [5]. Its bark is scaly, furrowed, and grey.
The swamp chestnut oak fruit is a one-seeded acorn (rarely two seeds)
that occurs singly or in clusters [22]. Acorns are about 1 to 1.4
inches (2.5-3.5 cm) long; the top is enclosed by a scaly cap, which can
cover as much as one-third of the acorn [5].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte: Mesophanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Sexual: Swamp chestnut oak reproduces by seed, which mature in 1 year
[30]. Good seed crops are produced about every 4 to 7 years, but many
acorns are infected by insects. Seedlings grow slowly at less than 6
inches (15 cm) per year [32]. Acorns must be collected soon after
falling to avoid early germination [22]. Viability can be tested by
dumping acorns in water. Those that float are not viable. Storing
seeds for more than a few months is not recommended because seeds do not
keep well. Cleaned seeds average 85 per pound (76.5/kg). One hundred
pounds (90 kg) of fruit can yield 40 to 50 pounds (36-45 kg) of seed
[22]. Detailed techniques for planting swamp white oak acorns and
seedlings are available [1].
Vegetative: Swamp chestnut oak sprouts from its base [32].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Swamp chestnut oak grows along streamsides, swamp borders, river
bottomlands, and ravines up to 1,000 feet (300 m) in elevation [5]. It
grows best in moderately well-drained silty clays and loams; it can
tolerate saturated or flooded soils for a few days to a few weeks during
the growing season [1]. It grows in limestone and phosphatic soils in
the Southeastern Coastal Plain of Florida [19]. It is an occasional
species in hydric hammocks of central and coastal Florida, which are
characterized by somewhat poorly drained sandy and loamy marine soils
over limestone [28].
Some overstory associates of swamp chestnut oak include willow oak
(Quercus phellos), white oak (Q. alba), cherrybark oak (Q. falcat var.
pagodaefolia), yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), beech (Fagus
grandifolia), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), river birch (Betula
nigra), southern bayberry (Myrica cerifera), loblolly pine (Pinus
taeda), and longleaf pine (P. palustris). Understory associates include
greenbriar (Smilax spp.), holly (Ilex spp.), wild grape (Vitis spp.),
and poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp.) [3,28].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Swamp chestnut oak is shade tolerant [5]. It is a dominant overstory
species in frequently flooded, low-elevation flatlands of Big Thicket,
Texas [18]. It is an early hardwood invader of southern pine (Pinus
spp.) stands where fire has been excluded [13].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Swamp chestnut oak flowers from April through May [5]. Acorns ripen in
late summer through the fall; seed crops are produced at about 3- to
5-year intervals [22]. Acorns are disseminated in September and October
[1].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
All oaks sprout from the stem when top-killed by fire. Sprouting vigor
decreases as the tree increases in size and age [32]. Seedlings can
initially develop an "S"-shaped crook in the shoot at the soil surface.
This protects dormant buds from the heat of flames, allowing them to
sprout following fire [31]. With repeated fires, stems become calloused
and harbor dormant buds within this tissue.
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; Postfire yr 1&2
survivor species; on-site surviving root crown
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Severe fire top-kills swamp chestnut oak [32]. Moderately severe fires
may kill seedlings and saplings, but older trees usually survive.
Surviving, fire-damaged trees are susceptible disease and insect attack.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
Fire scar wounds left on surviving trees allow the entry of fungi which
can cause heartwood decay [26]. Butt swelling and bulging are
indications of heartrot. Rot usually starts 4 to 5 years after fire.
The scar gets bigger, moving upward along the trunk about 1.5 feet (0.5
m) in 10 years if a quarter of the tree's circumference is damaged [26].
Fire is less damaging during the tree's dormant season because of
lowered ambient temperatures and the tree's physiological state [31].
Crooked trees may be killed more easily than straight trees if crooked
trees are leaning towards the flames. Also, overstocked stands may
suffer more damage from fire due to reduced vigor and size of
individuals [31]. Fire does not appear to affect acorn crops; however,
dying trees tend to produce a massive crop. Acorns themselves are
easily killed because of high moisture content [31].
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Swamp chestnut oak will eventually seed into areas following fire [8].
Stems can sprout after being top-killed. Sprouts can grow as much as 3
to 6 feet (1-3 m) a year for the first 2 to 3 postfire years [32].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
Swamp chestnut oak increased in a longleaf pine forest of Gulf Coastal
Florida 50 years following fire [8]. In a 20-year period, percent
frequency of swamp chestnut oak doubled. In a separate study of the
same area during the same year, swamp chestnut oak was found to decrease
in percent frequency over a 20-year period following an absence of fire
for 55 years [13].
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Fire can reduce litter depth so that oak seedlings can become
established [31]. Fire can also reduce stocking rates of other species,
allowing oak species to increase in basal area. Fire can induce
vigorous sprouting from older root stocks, which may be a preferred
reproductive technique [31].
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii
REFERENCES :
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