Quercus Alba 1. White Oak Fagaceae Beech Family
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Quercus alba 1. White Oak Fagaceae Beech family Robert Rogers White oak (Quercus alba) is an outstanding tree mum frost penetration in the soil is 102 cm (40 in) among all trees and is widespread across eastern in the north and 3 cm (1 in) in the south. North America. The most important lumber tree of The optimum range of white oak in the Ohio Valley the white oak group, growth is good on all but the and central part of the Mississippi Valley has the driest shallow soils. Its high-grade wood is useful for following average climatic conditions: annual many things, an important one being staves for bar- temperature, 13” C (55” F); annual precipitation, rels, hence the name stave oak. The acorns are an 1020 mm (40 in); annual snowfall, from 38 to 51 cm important food for many kinds of wildlife. (15 to 20 in); noon relative humidity in July, 55 per- cent; frost-free season, 6 months; and frost penetra- Habitat tion, 25 cm (10 in) (28). Native Range Soils and Topography White oak (figs. 1,2) grows throughout most of the Eastern United States. It is found from southwestern White oak grows on a wide range of soils and sites. Maine and extreme southern Quebec, west to It is found on podzols, gray-brown podzolic soils, southern Ontario, central Michigan, to southeastern brown podzolic soils, red and yellow podzolic soils, Minnesota; south to western Iowa, eastern Kansas, lithosols, planasols, and alluviums. The tree grows Oklahoma, and Texas; east to northern Florida and on both glaciated and nonglaciated soils derived from Georgia. The tree is generally absent in the high many parent materials. It is found on sandy plains, Appalachians, in the Delta region of the lower Mis- gravelly ridges, rich uplands, coves, and well-drained sissippi, and in the coastal areas of Texas and loamy soils. Growth is good on all but the driest, Louisiana. shallowest soils (28). The west slopes of the Appalachian Mountains and Mineral nutrition is not limiting to white oak the Ohio and central Mississippi River Valleys have growth except on very sandy soils where moisture is optimum conditions for white oak, but the largest also a limiting factor. The amount of variability in trees have been found in Delaware and Maryland on white oak growth that can be accounted for by soil the Eastern Shore. factors alone is low (9,28,37). Nevertheless, several studies have identified the more important factors to Climate be thickness of the Ai and AZ horizons and the per- cent clay in the surface soils (18,25,28). White oak is White oak grows under a wide variety of climatic most frequently found growing on soils in the orders conditions. Mean annual temperature ranges from 7” Alfisols and Ultisols. C (45” F) along the northern edge of the growing area The major site factors influencing white oak to nearly 21” C (70” F) in east Texas and north growth are latitude, aspect, and topography (9,18). Florida. The extreme low temperature ranges from White oak has the ability to grow on all upland -46” C (-50” F) in Wisconsin and Minnesota to -18” aspects and slope positions within its range except C (O” F) in north Florida. Annual precipitation ranges extremely dry, shallow-soil ridges; poorly drained from 2030 mm (80 in) in the southern Appalachians flats; and wet bottom land. It grows best on north- to 760 mm (30 in) in southern Minnesota. Snowfall and east-facing lower slopes and coves and grows averages 178 cm (70 in) in southern Maine and less well on moderately dry slopes and ridges with shal- than 3 cm (1 in) in northern Florida. The average low soils. White oak is more abundant although noon July relative humidity is less than 50 percent smaller in size on the drier west- and south-facing in the western part of the range and more than 65 slopes than on the more mesophytic sites. percent on the Atlantic Coast. The frost-free season It is found at all altitudes in the central and is 5 months in the north and 9 months in the ex- southern parts of its range, but it is seldom found treme southern part of the range. The mean maxi- above 150 m (500 ft) in elevation in the northern part of its range. It is excluded from the high Ap- palachians in New York and New England; but it is The author is Mensurationist and Professor of Forestry at the a scrub tree at elevations of 1370 m (4,500 ft) in the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. southern Appalachians (28). 605 Quercus alba 260 abo 460 660 KILOMETERS I 850 750 I \ Figure l--The native range ofwhite oak. Quercus alba 26 Sugar Maple-Basswood 27 Sugar Maple 51 White Pine-Chestnut Oak 60 Beech-Sugar Maple Central Forest Region 40 Post Oak-Blackjack Oak 42 Bur Oak 43 Bear Oak 44 Chestnut Oak 45 Pitch Pine 46 Eastern Redcedar 55 Northern Red Oak 57 Yellow-Poplar 58 Yellow-Poplar-Eastern Hemlock 61 River Birch-Sycamore 110 Black Oak Southern Forest Region 75 Shortleaf Pine 76 Shortleaf Pine-Oak 78 Virginia Pine+Oak 79 Virginia Pine 80 Loblolly Pin+Shortleaf Pine 81 Loblolly Pine 82 Loblolly Pine-Hardwood 91 Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak Life History Figure a--White oak. Reproduction and Early Growth Associated Forest Cover Flowering and Fruiting-Wite oak flowers in the spring at about the same time leaves appear. The White oak grows in association with many other time may vary from late March to late May depend- trees, the more important of which are other upland ing upon latitude. It is monoecious; flowers of both oaks (Quercus spp.), hickories (Carya spp.), yellow- sexes are present on the same tree. The yellowish poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), American basswood staminate flowers appear first and are borne in 5 to (Tilia americana), white ash (Fraxinus americana), &cm (2- to 3-in) catkins. The reddish pistillate sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), blackgum flowers appear 5 to 10 days later either singly or in (Nyssa sylvatica), American beech (Fagus gran- pairs on short stalks. Female flowers that are not difolia), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), shortleaf fertilized abscise during the development period. pine (Pinus echinata), loblolly pine (I? taeda), eastern High abscission rates are common and may be re- white pine (I? strobus), and eastern hemlock (Tsuga lated to weather conditions during the period of pol- canadensis). The most frequent associates are other lination, ovule development, and fertilization (44). oaks and the hickories. Ripe anthers open and close with changes in relative White oak is a major component of three forest humidity. Normally, pollen dissemination is com- cover types (10): White Oak-Black Oak-Northern pleted within 3 days but periods of wet weather delay Red Oak (Society of American Foresters Type 52), pollen shedding. Dry winds and freezing weather are White Oak (Type 531, and Yellow-Poplar-White Oak- also detrimental to flower development and pollen Northern Red Oak (Type 59). It is a minor component shedding (28). Acorn crops are good in years when of the following 28 other forest types: the weather is warm for 10 days during flowering Northern Forest Region and then cool for 13 to 20 days afterward. The acorn 14 Northern Pin Oak crop has been poor in years when cool periods 19 Grey Birch-Red Maple preceded warm periods at the time of flowering (36). 21 Eastern White Pine Acorn maturity is reached approximately 120 days 22 White Pine-Hemlock after pollination. Acorn drop follows 25 days later 23 Eastern Hemlock and is complete within a month. Physiological 607 Quercus alba maturity, as indicated by normal germination, is Germination is severely limited after 15 days of ex- reached when acorns change color from green to light posure to flooded conditions (1). When acorns ger- brown (4). Acorns germinate almost immediately minate, their roots begin to grow but the shoot after falling to the ground in September or October. remains dormant. This trait serves to protect it from damage by freezing (11). Seed Production and Dissemination-White After germination, root growth continues until in- oak can produce seeds prolifically, but good acorn terrupted by cold weather. Broken radicles are crops are irregular and occur only every 4 to 10 replaced on freshly sprouted seeds. Root and shoot years. Sometimes several years may pass without a growth resumes in the spring, and after the first crop. Acorn yields range from 0 to 500,000 acorns per growing season, seedlings 7.6 to 10.2 cm (3 to 4 in) hectare (202,00O/acre) (7,22,28). This great variation high normally develop a large taproot 6 to 13 mm in acorn production exists not only among isolated (0.25 to 0.50 in) in diameter and more than 30.5 cm stands of oaks but also among individual trees within (12 in) long. stands and from year to year. Oak seedling establishment is best on loose soil Trees normally bear seeds between the ages of 50 because the radicle cannot penetrate excessively and 200 years, sometimes older; however, open- compact surfaces. A humus layer is especially impor- grown trees may produce seeds as early as 20 years. tant because it keeps the soil surface loose and Individual white oak trees tend to have either very porous and because it mechanically supports the good or very poor seed crops and are noticeably con- acorn as the radicle penetrates the soil (28). sistent in seed production from year to year If climate and soil are favorable for germination, (20,28,36,40).