UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF OREGON WHITE OAK RESTORATION AGRICULTURE STRATEGY FOR NATIONAL FOREST FOREST SERVICE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SYSTEM LANDS EAST OF THE REGION CASCADE RANGE MARCH 2013 ABSTRACT Significant work has been undertaken to conserve and restore Pacific Northwest Oregon white oak habitats, but this work has almost entirely focused on lands west of the Cascade Range. Much of the historical eastside Oregon white oak savanna and woodland habitat has been lost, and the combined effects of fire suppression, invasive species, grazing, and development threaten significant portions of the remaining extent. This restoration strategy focuses on conservation and preservation of stands that are still structurally and functionally intact, and restoration of degraded stands, to ensure the longevity of this habitat and the species that rely on it. The target audience is managers at the Mt. Hood, Gifford Pinchot, and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The strategy includes a review of the relevant biological and ecological literature, a discussion of restoration issues, tools for prioritizing restoration sites and choosing management actions, and discussion of management activities. Also included are maps, restoration case studies, recommendations for planning and research, and an annotated bibliography of relevant literature. KEYWORDS Oregon white oak, Quercus garryana, restoration, release, thinning, fuels reduction The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. COVER PHOTO Roland Rose, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area EDITORIAL SUPPORT AND DOCUMENT DESIGN Provided by Publishing Arts, USDA Forest Service. http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/em/nfs_bass/ SUGGESTED CITATION Devine, W.; Bower, A.; Miller, J.; Aubry, C. 2013. Oregon white oak restoration strategy for National Forest System lands east of the Cascade Range. Olympia, WA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 98 p. OREGON WHITE OAK RESTORATION STRATEGY FOR NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS EAST OF THE CASCADE RANGE MARCH 2013 Prepared by: Warren Devine, Andrew Bower, Jeanne Miller, and Carol Aubry Contributors: Kristen Chadwick, Forest Service Forest Health Protection Lindsay Cornelius, Columbia Land Trust Whitney Olsker, Mt. Hood National Forest Roland Rose, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Mark Williams, Bureau of Land Management Authors Warren Devine is a biological scientist, 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW, Suite A, Olympia, WA 98512; Andrew Bower and Carol Aubry are geneticists, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Olympic National Forest, 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW, Suite A, Olympia, WA 98512; and Jeanne Miller is a GIS specialist, 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW, Suite A, Olympia, WA 98512. Eastside Oak Restoration Strategy i Table of Contents Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................2 Chapter 2. Literature Review .....................................................................................................................................3 Distribution ...............................................................................................................................................3 Physical Description .................................................................................................................................3 Genetics ....................................................................................................................................................5 Reproduction ............................................................................................................................................6 Growth and Development .........................................................................................................................7 Successional Role .....................................................................................................................................8 Adaptations to Fire ...................................................................................................................................8 Wildlife Habitat ........................................................................................................................................9 Eastside Oregon White Oak Community Types .......................................................................................9 Soils ........................................................................................................................................................11 Insect Threats..........................................................................................................................................12 Disease Threats .......................................................................................................................................12 Other Threats to Eastside Oregon White Oak Habitat ............................................................................14 Classification Systems ............................................................................................................................14 Growth and Mortality Modeling.............................................................................................................15 Chapter 3. Restoration Issues ...................................................................................................................................17 Restoration Targets .................................................................................................................................17 Distribution of Oak Habitats ..................................................................................................................17 Public Outreach and Collaboration.........................................................................................................18 Sensitive Species ....................................................................................................................................19 Gene Conservation .................................................................................................................................19 Climate Change ......................................................................................................................................20 Chapter 4. Development of a Landscape-Scale Restoration Strategy ......................................................................23 Phase 1: Mapping ...................................................................................................................................23 Phase 2: Ecological Prioritization of Sites .............................................................................................24 Phase 3: Site Selection ............................................................................................................................26 Chapter 5. Stand-Level Restoration..........................................................................................................................27 Flowchart A - Location ........................................................................................................................298 Flowchart B - Conifer Competition ........................................................................................................30 Flowchart C - Habitat .............................................................................................................................32 Flowchart D - Density ............................................................................................................................34 Flowchart E - Regeneration ....................................................................................................................36 ii Eastside Oak Restoration Strategy Flowchart F - Understory .......................................................................................................................38 Chapter 6. Management Actions ..............................................................................................................................40 1. Map and Inventory at the Stand Level ................................................................................................40 2. Release from Conifer Encroachment ..................................................................................................41