Acorn production varies considerably among oak (Quercus) species, individual trees, years, and locations, which directly affects oak regeneration and populations of wildlife species that depend on acorns for food. Hard mast indices provide a relative ranking and basis for comparison of withinand between-year acorn crop size at a broad scale, but do not provide an estimate of actual acorn yield—...

      Dust storms are increasingly threatening the forest ecosystem in Western Iran. Due to its coverage of vast area of Zagros forest, the Quercus brantii is at the front line of the attack. Most tree deaths in this forest are from this species. This study aims to investigate the effect of simulated dust on wood development and leaf stomata from seedlings of Persian oak. The oak seedlings were...

Shortleaf pine-oak-hickory woodlands provided the principal vegetation cover in the Tallahassee Red Hills prior to land clearing for plantation agriculture in the 19th century. Ample historical documentation and extant remnants of that community, including old-growth, support this conclusion. This woodland was maintained by surface fires and consisted principally of open stands of shortleaf pin...

Within the eastern deciduous forest region, forest composition varies, with some areas dominated by a mix of oaks (Quercus spp.) and other areas dominated by a mix of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and other tree species. Prescribed fire is being used on an experimental basis to assess its effectiveness in restoring and maintaining oak-dominated forests. Maple-dominated forests are susceptible to...

The degree to which ectomycorrhizal fungi rely on decomposing litter as a carbon source in natural ecosystems is unknown. We used a radiocarbon (C) tracer to test for uptake of litter carbon by ectomycorrhizal fungi as part of the Enriched Background Isotope Study (EBIS) in Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee. In EBIS, leaf litter from a highly C-labeled Quercus alba (white oak) forest was recipro...

Original oak (Quercus) forests in the southwestern Carpathian Mountains, Slovakia, were replaced by non-forest cover or managed stands often containing introduced non-native tree species. We compared the composition, richness, and abundance of litter-dwelling beetle (Coleoptera) communities in 30 stands across three management types: (i) reserved stands that most closely approximate the pre-cle...

Variability in historic fire regimes in eastern North America resulted in an array of oak natural communities that were dominant across the region. In the past century, savannas and woodlands have become scarce because of conversion to agriculture or development of forest structure in the absence of fire. Their restoration is a primary goal for public agencies and conservation organizations. Al...

Hardwood forests are principal features of the landscape of both California and Britain and indigenous oak species are important components. In both locales these “oak woodlands” have historically provided a wide variety of commercial and non-commercial products and benefits and are deeply valued and appreciated by those who live in and around them. However, human-induced impacts have reduced t...