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General Technical Report
Title: Oak management in California
Author: Plumb. Timothy R.; McDonald, Philip M.
Date: 1981
Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-54, 12 p., illus. Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Exp. Stn., Forest Serv., U.S. Dep. Agric., Berkeley, Calif.
Station ID: GTR-PSW-054
Description: Native oak species grow on 15 to 20 million acres (6 to 8 million ha) of California land, and have an estimated net volume of about 3 billion ft3 (85 million m3). This resource, valuable not only for traditional wood products, but also for wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and recreational-esthetic values, is not effectively managed, partly because of a lack of silvicultural and other management knowledge. Some helpful information is available. Viable acorns of scrub oak (Quercus dumosa Nutt.) can be picked 1 1/2 to 2 months before normal maturity, and after proper drying, can be stored for at least 1 year at 3 to 4° C. Mixed stands of California black oak (Q. kelloggii Newb.), tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus [Hook. & Am.] Rehd.), and madrone (Arbutus menziesii Pursh) increased growth when thinned to 102 to 125 ft2 of basal area (23 to 29 m2/ha). But, thinning sprouts of individual California black oak stumps did not enhance growth of the remaining sprouts. Fire can be a management tool for some species, such as coast live oak, Q. agrifolia Née, which is fire tolerant.
Key Words: Quercus spp., Lithocarpus densiflorus, California, timber management, silviculture, fire effects
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Citation
Plumb. Timothy R.; McDonald, Philip M. 1981. Oak management in California Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-54, 12 p., illus. Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Exp. Stn., Forest Serv., U.S. Dep. Agric., Berkeley, Calif.