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BLM LIBRARY

x £80Z«i3lvw ,/ne^s Guide

for Restoring and

Managing
Oregon White Oak

Habitats

David Vesely««d Gabe Tucker

with Illustrations by Raven OKeefe

104

.N6

USDI Bureau of Land Management, Salem District
Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon State University Extension Service
The American Bird Conservancy
lature Conservancy
k. Forest Service

Natural Resource Conservation Service

V35
2004
c . 3

A Landowner's Guide

for Restoring and Managing

Oregon White Oak Habitats

Written by David Vesely and Gabe Tucker
Illustrations by Raven OKeefe

Pacific Wildlife Research • October 2004

for

USDI Bureau of Land Management, Salem District

Oregon Department of Forestry

Oregon State University Extension Service

The American Bird Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy

USDA Forest Service

USDI Natural Resource Conservation Service

BLM Mission:

It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity and
productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

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Funded by:

Bureau of Land Management
USDA Forest Service
Oregon Department of Forestry
The Nature Conservancy

The landowner stories throughout the Guide would not have been possible without help
from Lynda Boyer, Warren and Laurie Halsey, Mark Krautmann, Barry Schreiber, and
Karen Thelen. The authors also wish to thank Florence Caplow and Chris Chappell of
the Washington Natural Heritage Program and Anita Gorham of the Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS) for helping us better understand Oregon white oak plant
community associations. John Christy of the Oregon Natural Heritage program provided
data for mapping pre-settlement vegetation of the Willamette Valley. Karen Bahus
provided invaluable technical editing and layout services during the preparation of the
Guide. Finally, we offer our appreciation to the following members of the Landowner's
Guide Steering Committee: Hugh Snook, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) -
Committee Leader, Bob Altman The American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Eric Devlin,

The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Connie Harrington, U.S.D.A. Forest Service (USFS),

Jane Kertis (USFS), Brad Knotts, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), Rachel Maggi,
Natural Resource & Conservation Service (NRCS), Brad Withrow-Robinson, Oregon
State University Extension Service (OSU), and Nancy Wogen, BLM. These Committee
members reviewed earlier drafts of our work and offered comments that led to significant
improvements to the final publication. All photos were taken by the authors unless
otherwise indicated.

BLM Library
Denver Federal Center
Bldg. 50,OC-521
P.O. Box 25047
Denver, CO 80225

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Less than 1% of oak-dominated habitats are protected in parks or
reserves. Private landowners hold the key to maintaining

this important natural legacy.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Throughout this Landowner's Guide, we have highlighted many terms in bold type to
indicate that the term is defined in the glossary below.

Biodiversity: The variety of life and all its processes. The definition encompasses all living
plants and animals, the ecological relationships among species, and evolutionary processes
that permit organisms to function in a changing environment. Food webs and other
ecological interactions play critical roles in nutrient cycling, maintaining water and air
quality, preserving soil fertility, and many other "ecosystem services."

Climax Species: A species associated with the terminal stage of ecological succession.

Crown: The portion of a tree composed of branches and stem above the lowest live limb.

Diameter at Breast Height (DBH): The diameter of a tree stem measured 4.5 feet from the
ground.

Drip Line: An imaginary line formed on the ground by the circumference of a tree crown.

Habitat: A place providing the necessary resources and environmental conditions for a
plant or animal to live and reproduce.

Habitat Elements: The specific biological features (such as large trees, snags, prey species)
and physical features (such as streams, caves, soil) occurring in the environment used by
a species. The availability of habitat elements is assumed to have a significant effect on the
survival, growth, and reproduction of wildlife.

Habitat Structure: See Vegetation Structure.

Habitat Type: A group of plant communities sharing similar characteristics such as species
composition and wildlife relationships. Habitat types are usually named for the most
dominant climax plant species in the community, for example, "Douglas-fir / western
hemlock forest" or " Oregon white oak savanna".

Mast: A collection or crop of acorns produced by an individual tree or group
of trees.

Natural Regeneration: The seeds, seedlings, and sprouts of trees that have become
established on a site through natural processes of reproduction and dispersal.

Overstory: The highest vertical stratum of individual plants within a community. In a forest
or woodland, the overstory is composed of dominant and co-dominant trees.

Plant Community: Any group of plants belonging to a number of different species that
co-occur within the same habitat and interact through competition and other ecological
relations.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Plant Community Composition: See Vegetation Composition.

Root Zone: The soil region that encompasses the roots of a tree.

Savanna: A plant community or vegetation type dominated by grasses with scattered,
drought-resistant trees.

Serai Species: A species associated with the early or middle stages of ecological succession.

Site Quality: The productive capacity of a site to grow trees. Site quality is determined by
soil type, climate, elevation, and other intrinsic factors.

Snag: A dead, standing tree.

Stocking: The number of trees per unit area relative to the optimum number of trees for
growth and yield.

Suppression: The inhibitory effect that a more dominant tree exerts on the growth of a
shorter tree through competition for resources, for example, sunlight and water.

Thinning: The silvicultural practice of removing selected trees during stand development
to accelerate the growth of the remaining trees.

Shade Tolerance: The capability of a tree to survive and grow in the shade of taller
vegetation.

Understory: The layer of vegetation between the forest canopy and the ground. Typically
composed of shade-tolerant shrubs, tree seedlings, and saplings.

Vegetation Composition: The assemblage of plant species in a given area.

Vegetation Structure: The spatial arrangement of trees and other vegetation within a forest
stand. Vertical structure refers to the stratification of vegetation, from the uppermost
portion of the tree canopy to the ground.

Wildland/Urban Interface: The transitional zone between a highly developed urban
area and an adjacent forest or chaparral. Often characterized by low-density residential
neighborhoods that are vulnerable to forest or brush fires.

Woodland: In this guide, woodlands refer to stands of deciduous or mixed deciduous-
conifer trees with a generally continuous or semi-open canopy.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Acre

BLM

Bureau of Land Management

CRP

Conservation Reserve Program

DBH

Diameter breast height

FSA

Farm Service Agency

Feet

Inch

lbs

Pounds

LIP

Landowner Incentive Program

ODFW

Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

P-

Page

NRCS

Natural Resources Conservation Service

TPA

Trees per acre

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture

USDI

United States Department of Interior

USFWS

United States Fish & Wildlife Service

USGS

United States Geological Survey

WDFW

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

WHIP

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

INTRODUCTION . 1

Purpose of the Landowners Guide . 2

Why Should I Get Involved? . 5

Benefits to Wildlife . 5

Maintain Native Biodiversity . 8

Fire Hazard Reduction . 8

Farm Uses . 9

In Summary . 9

ECOLOGY OF OREGON WHITE OAK . ii

Species Distribution . 11

Reproduction and Growth . 11

Soils and Topography . 12

Ecological Role . 12

Plant Associates . 12

Ecological Succession . 13

SETTING GOALS . 16

Goals vs Management Objectives . 17

ASSESSING YOUR SITE . 20

Soils Description . 20

Natural Features . 21

Overstory Trees . 21

Understory Conditions . 22

Oak Regeneration . 22

Understory Plant Community Composition . 22

Snags and Logs . 22

Wildlife Observations . 23

Maps and Aerial Photos . 23

RESTORATION PLANNING . 25

Planning for Small Woodlands . 25

Thinning Stands for Oak Survival and Growth . . 25

Selling Your Trees . 26

Snags and Logs . 27

Decision-Making Guide: Overstory Trees . 28

Making Decisions . 29

Planning for Oaks on Farms . 29

Crop Management Practices . 29

Oaks and Livestock . 29

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Plant Additional Oaks . 29

Restore Savanna Understory Plants . 30

Enroll in Conservation Programs . 30

Decision-Making Guide: Understory Restoration . 31

Home Landscaping with Oaks . 32

Ensure Adequate Space . 32

Protecting the Root Zone . 32

Home Protection in the Wildland/Urban Interface . 33

Enhancing Wildlife Habitats . 34

Small Woodland Owners . 35

Farmlands . 35

Writing a Management Plan . 36

The Property Description . 36

Goals and Management Objectives . 36

Management Unit Narrative . 36

Maps and Aerial Photos . 37

Work Plan . 37

WORKING ON THE GROUND . 39

Shaping the Overstory . 39

Remove Conifers First . 39

Give Oaks Space to Grow . 39

Marking the Stand . 40

Felling and Bucking . 41

Protect Natural Regeneration . 41

Creating Snags . 41

Establishing Oaks . 43

Preparing for Planting . 43

Some Common Invasive Weeds . 43

Types of Control . 44

Managing Slash . 47

Seedling Spacing . 48

Direct Seeding . 48

Container Seedlings . 49

Care and Protection of Seedlings . 50

Controlling Wildlife Damage . 51

MONITORING AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT . 53

RESOURCES FOR LANDOWNERS . 55

CONCLUSION . 57

SUGGESTED READING . 58

ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATOR . 59

APPENDIX I: COLLECTING TREE DATA . 60

APPENDIX II: LIST OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES . 63

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

INTRODUCTION

On the 10th , the country was somewhat more hilly than the day previous , but still fine
grazing land. ...The country had an uninviting look, from the fact that it had been overrun by fire,
which had destroyed all the vegetation except the oak trees, which appeared not to be injured.

Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, describing a location along the Willamette River,
September 1841.

Written accounts by the first naturalists and pioneers describe wide expanses of prairies
and savanna across the Puget Sound region and major valleys of western Oregon. Trees
were so scarce in the Willamette Valley that early land surveyors had to build rock piles
to mark section corners instead of using traditional witness trees. At that time, grasslands
and savannas were actively managed by American Indians, who deliberately set fire to the
valleys each fall. The practice prevented forests from encroaching upon hunting grounds
and plant gathering areas used by the tribes.

In Washington and British Columbia , the species
is still widely known as " Garry oak"

The first settlers in the region often preferred the foothills of the Cascades and Coast
Ranges rather than the valley floors. At these higher elevations were found park-like stands
of Oregon white oak and ponderosa pine that provided firewood and timber for early
homesteads. As soon as they were able to do so, settlers put an end to the widespread
practice of grassland burning by American Indians because of the threat it posed to their
crops and wood supply.

One hundred and fifty years after early pioneers settled in western Washington and
Oregon, the prairies that once spread across valley floors have largely been replaced by
agricultural fields and suburban homes. Since the suppression of burning, more than half
of the pre-settlement oak savannas and open woodlands are now dense forests of Douglas-
fir, grand fir, and bigleaf maple.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Purpose of the Landowner’s Guide

The primary purpose of this Guide is to encourage
private landowners to conserve, and when appropriate,
actively manage Oregon white oaks that already exist
on their property, and consider planting additional oaks.

In the early chapters of the Guide, we describe some of
the uses and benefits of this remarkable tree in hopes of
motivating landowners to take action. An introduction
to the ecology of the Oregon white oak is included so
the reader can better understand how management
practices are founded on aspects of the tree's biology.

Later chapters are designed to help landowners develop
land management goals and understand the process of
natural resource planning.

We hope this Guide will motivate landowners to take
the next steps: seek out further information at university
and government websites, contact your natural resource
specialists, and enroll in woodland management courses
and workshops. At the end of this Guide, we provide a
list of government agencies and private organizations
that can provide such technical assistance and funding
opportunities for private landowners undertaking oak
conservation projects.

Throughout this Landowner's Guide, we distinguish
between oak woodlands and oak savannas. By
woodlands, we are referring to stands of deciduous
or mixed deciduous/conifer trees with a generally
continuous or semi-open canopy. Savannas are
ecological communities dominated by grasses and
having scattered trees.

The future of oak savannas and woodlands
depends upon the active participation of private

landowners

For the purposes of this publication, we include
livestock pastures with trees as savannas. Without
reccurring fire or active management, savannas will
eventually become woodlands.

Oregon white oak savannas and woodlands are among the most endangered ecological
communities in the Pacific Northwest. Oak habitats face threats on several fronts:

■

Observations of
David Douglas

In 1826, the naturalist David
Douglas traveled the length of the
Willamette Valley. His journal is
filled with references to the natural
vegetation he observed.

September 21

“Country undulating: soil rich, light,
with beautiful solitary oaks and
pines interspersed through it, and
must have a fine effect, but being
all burned and not a single blade
of grass except on the margins of
rivulets to be seen. This obliged us
to camp earlier than we would have
otherwise done.”

October 2

“Country the same as yesterday,
rich but not yet a vestage of green
herbage: all burned except in deep
ravines. ...As no place could be
found suitable fodder for the horses,
we had to travel till four o’clock, we
camped at a low point of land near
a rivulet.”

After returning home, Douglas
wrote the first scientific description
of the oaks he observed in the
Willamette Valley. He named the
species Quercus garryanna, after
Nicholas Garry, Deputy Governor
of the Hudson’s Bay Company. In
Washington and British Columbia,
the species is still widely known
as “Garry oak”.

2 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

• Woodlands are disappearing ahead of rapidly expanding metropolitan areas.

• On rural landscapes, legacy oaks that persisted on pastures and woodlots for centuries
are being cut down as agricultural practices intensify.

• Foresters have viewed Oregon white oak as an undesirable species because no strong
market has developed for the wood.

• Without active management, the natural process of forest succession gradually leads to
the replacement of oaks by faster-growing trees such as Douglas-fir.

• Park managers and homeowners do not often plant Oregon white oak for landscaping
because of its reputation for slow growth.

Conservationists and public land managers in the Pacific Northwest recognize the critical
role oak savannas and woodlands play as wildlife habitat and for maintaining ecosystem
functions. However, most federal and state lands are concentrated in the Cascades, Coast
Range, and Olympic Peninsula, regions with few suitable sites for growing oaks. Therefore,
the future of oak savannas and woodlands depends upon the active participation of private
landowners.

Oaks and the Kalapuya Tribes

The plants associated with oak savannas, prairies
and woodlands, were among the most important
natural resources to the Kalapuya tribes of the
Willamette Valley. Larger Indian tribes on the coast
and along the Columbia River restricted Kalapuya
access to the major salmon-bearing rivers. So the
Kalapuya depended upon the plants of the western
interior valleys to supply most of their foods.

Groups of families traveled together to different
locations throughout the year to take advantage of
seasonal foods.

In the fall, village life was organized around the
collection, preparation, and storage of acorns.
Bread and porridge made from acorn meal were
staples of the Kalapuya diet. Acorns have less
carbohydrates and protein than cereal crops, but
are rich in fat and fiber. The bitter tannins in acorns
were easily leached out by soaking them in running
water. The wood of oaks was also manufactured
into various tools.

The Kalapuya were known to regularly use at least
50 other species of plants. The starchy roots of
the camas, a member of the lily family commonly
found in savannas and wet prairies, was an equally
important food. Camas was collected in the spring
when they were easier to dig out of the moist, clay
soil. Woodland fruits and nuts such as salmonberry,
huckleberry, bitter cherry, and hazelnuts provided
diversity to the Kalapuya diet. In late summer,
seeds of the tarweed were collected and ground
into flour.

The Kalapuya were expert in the basic ecology
and management of natural resources on which
they depended. Fire was used for many purposes.
Grass fires were set in the fall to make it easier
to find fallen acorns and prevent other trees from
encroaching. Patches of camas and tarweed were
also maintained by regular burning. The Kalapuya
were aware of the preferences of deer and elk to
use the edges of habitat types. They used annual
burning to maintain a mosaic of woodlands and
openings that created optimum conditions for big
game animals.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Salem

Monmouth

Jefferson

Albany

rvallis

Pre-Settlement Vegetation

Prairie

Savanna

Shrubland

Unvegetated

Water

Woodland

Riparian Forest
Upland Forest

Emergent

Wetlands

Miles

0 2 4

Kilometers

Herbaceous

Communities

No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management
as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness ot these
data tor individual or aggregate use with other data
Original data were compiled from various sources This
information may not meet National Map Accuracy
Standards This product was developed through digital
means and may be updated without notification

U04-09-04

Pre-Settlement Vegetation of the Willamette Valley

Ecologists and geospatial analysts at the Oregon Natural Heritage Program have prepared maps
of pre-settlement (1851-1865) vegetation patterns in the Willamette Valley using notes made by
the first land surveyors. The above map shows pre-settlement vegetation patterns across the
central portion of the Valley.

4 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Why Should I Get Involved?

There are a number of good reasons for private landowners to participate in the
conservation of oak savannas and woodlands. Four major reasons are listed below.

Benefits to Wildlife

Oak savannas and woodlands are used by more than 200 species of native wildlife in the
region. Many of these species are imperiled by habitat loss and degradation and introduced
species. Whether you own a 40-acre woodlot or two Oregon white oaks in your backyard,
preserving these trees will help ensure a future for wildlife near your home. The table
below shows just a few of the representative wildlife species in woodlands and savannas.

Wildlife associated with Oregon white oak habitats in the Pacific Northwest. The table
includes only a small sample of representative species found in woodlands and savannas.

Taxonomic

Group

Amphibians

Reptiles

Birds

Mammals

Woodland

Species

ensatina (salamander),
red-legged frog

western skink, ring-necked snake,
sharptail snake, rubber boa

white-breasted nuthatch, western
wood-pewee, Merriam's wild
turkey, northern pygmy-owl

vagrant shrew, western gray
squirrel, coyote, blacktail deer

Savanna

Species

long-toed salamander.

Pacific tree frog

western fence lizard, gopher
snake, northwestern garter snake

American kestrel, western
bluebird, savanna sparrow,
western meadowlark

long-eared myotis, Botta's pocket
gopher, brush rabbit

Oak trees are an important habitat element that influence the abundance and distribution
of wildlife species. Shade provided by a woodland canopy offers an escape from summer
heat, thereby allowing warm-blooded animals to conserve energy. Woodland foliage also
provides important hiding cover for wildlife on landscapes dominated by agricultural
fields and pastures. Trees in riparian areas can also reduce water temperatures and improve
stream conditions for fish. Leaves continue to serve wildlife, even when they are no longer
on the tree. Fallen leaves provide a source of organic litter, an important microhabitat
for amphibians and reptiles. On savannas and agricultural landscapes, trees serve an
important function as perches for red-tailed hawks, kestrels, and great horned owls as they
wait to ambush their next meal.

Many birds and mammals use tree cavities for nesting, roosting, or den sites. Downy
woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, western bluebirds, the long-eared myotis (bat)
and western gray squirrel are just a few examples. Cavities usually begin as a pocket of
decaying wood.

Wood-boring insects tunnel through the decay until discovered by a woodpecker. The
woodpecker makes a meal of the insects and then may excavate the cavity for a nest or
roosting site. When a cavity is no longer used by the woodpecker, it becomes a valuable

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

resource for dozens of other wildlife species. In coniferous forests, most cavities occur in
the stem of a snag. Oaks have better mechanisms than conifers for sealing off pockets of
decayed wood from healthy portions of the tree. Therefore, cavities are found as often
in dead branches on living oaks as in snags. Dead trees continue to serve functions for
wildlife after they have fallen to the ground. Decaying logs host a rich supply of insects,
a source of food for many vertebrates, as well as provide hiding cover for amphibians,
reptiles, and small mammals.

When a cavity is no longer used by the woodpecker ; it becomes a
valuable resource for dozens of other wildlife species

Perhaps the greatest importance of oaks to wildlife is their production of acorns, also
known as "mast." These large, edible seeds have a high caloric content and represent
an important food resource during fall and winter when other forages are becoming
scarce. Because annual acorn production is highly variable, few wildlife species can risk
being entirely dependent on acorns. However, good acorn crops can boost survival and
reproduction rates, permitting some wildlife populations to attain greater densities than
would be possible without this resource.

Tarweed ( Madia elegans), and other wildflowers grace this oak stand near Salem, Oregon. Oak stands
such as this contain habitat elements that support a variety of wildlife species.

Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

6 I andowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

■

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Maintain Native Biodiversity

Oregon white oaks are important contributors to the
biodiversity of the Pacific Northwest. For example,

• A single Oregon white oak may host dozens of
species of microorganisms uniquely adapted to its
leaves, roots, and woody tissues.

• The branches of an ancient oak can become draped
with mosses and lichens not found on conifers.

• Several species of the wasp family Cinipidae are
among the many insects that feed or reproduce
solely on white oak trees and nowhere else.

• On a landscape scale, oak savannas and woodlands
support communities of plants and animals that are
remarkably different than the intensively managed
agricultural fields and conifer forests surrounding
them.

These points illustrate the fact that a single oak in a
suburban backyard may increase the biodiversity of
the property many fold, even if the landowners do not
see most of it.

An insect survey conducted at a single site in Lane
County , Oregon discovered 35 species of moths and
butterflies using the foliage of Oregon white oak

Fire Hazard Reduction

Every year, wildland fires destroy homes, cause
millions of dollars of property loss, and put firefighters
at risk across the region. Most of the damage is preventable if landowners take care to
reduce the fire hazard on their property. While no tree is fireproof, Oregon white oaks have
characteristics that make them safer in the wildland/urban interface. For example, the wood
and leaves of white oaks contain much less flammable
resin than Douglas-fir or other conifers. Therefore,
standing oaks and litter underneath the trees are less
prone to carry a fire. Conifers grown in open settings
retain their lower branches creating a "fuel ladder"
up the tree. In contrast, the branch structure of oaks
tends to minimize the chance that a ground fire will be
carried up into the tree crown.

Oregon white oaks are well adapted to survive
most ground fires.

Chris Seal, USFWS

Oak Galls

Many oaks bear conspicuous bulges
and outgrowths called “galls”. Some
galls are shaped like small apples
or potatoes, while others appear to
be intricately engineered structures.
Galls can form on any part of an
oak, but twigs and leaves are the
most common locations. Galls are
probably not too harmful to oaks,
but heavy infestations may increase
stress on trees already weakened by
injuries, disease, or competition.

Oak galls are formed by a highly
specialized family of insects called
cynipid wasps (derived from their
taxonomic family — Cynipidae).
Cynipid wasps are little more than a
millimeter in length — and they don’t
sting. Cynipid wasps have extremely
complex life histories that have
evolved as a consequence of their
close association with oaks.

8 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Farm Uses

Driving through the Willamette Valley on a summer afternoon, one does not have to travel
far before observing how valuable the spreading crown of an oak is to livestock. Cattle,
sheep, and horses naturally gravitate to tree shade to avoid the sun. Research demonstrates
that livestock produce less meat, milk, and wool when stressed by heat. Water transpiration
through tree leaves also creates a greater cooling effect than artificial shade structures.

Other benefits include:

• Well-spaced oaks increase livestock dispersal across pastures and therefore improve
forage utilization.

• Studies conducted on closely-related oak species (blue oak and interior live oak)
indicate that soil near oaks has greater concentrations of nutrients than pasture areas
without oaks, improving the abundance and nutritional value of the forage crop.

• Oaks scattered throughout field crops and grain storage areas will provide hunting
perches for hawks and owls. These predators can limit crop damage by voles, ground
squirrels, rats, and other pests.

• Oaks and associated understory vegetation that are retained along streams intercept
and trap run-off from pastures, thus protecting water quality and fish habitat.

In Summary...

In the Pacific Northwest, most of
the land in the geographic range
of Oregon white oak is in private
ownership. Federal and state land
management agencies administer only
a small portion of existing oak habitat.

Less than 1% of oak-dominated
habitats in Oregon are protected in
parks, designated wilderness, or
special management areas. Therefore,
any conservation strategy must
largely depend on the efforts of
private landowners.

A stand of mature, healthy oaks is a wonderful legacy for a
landowner to leave for future generations to enjoy

Oregon white oaks are worth the commitment. A stand of mature, healthy oaks is a
wonderful legacy for a landowner to leave for future generations to enjoy. Although
conservation of these special trees must be driven by private property owners, there are
many programs available to assist with grants, loans, and planning services. The remainder
of this Landowner's Guide will summarize the biology of Oregon white oak, provide an
overview of habitat management practices, and identify resources to help you plan and
implement your project.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

fa/lsrw

Driving south on 1-5 from Portland toward Albany, traffic speeds through a landscape mosaic composed of
shopping centers, suburban neighborhoods, grass seed fields, turf farms, and horticultural nursery crops.
Nurseries that grow ornamental and landscaping plants represent the fastest growing segment of agricultural
industry in Oregon. One of these wholesale nurseries is Heritage Seedlings, Inc., owned by Mark and Jolly
Krautmann.

The Krautmann’s plan is to showcase the diversity of Willamette Valley native plants and wildlife on their
Jefferson farm. The couple recently purchased the property in the south Salem Hills just barely beyond
the noise of 1-5 traffic. It’s hard to believe that the couple only acquired the land in the fall of 2003. In just a
few months, they have secured cost-share funds and grants for restoration work on the farm from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife. The USFWS Private Stewardship Grant was established to assist private landowners in creating and
managing habitats for threatened and endangered species.

The restoration work on the Jefferson farm may benefit as many as 30 species of plants and wildlife. During
the next five years, four different habitat types will be restored or enhanced on the property. They are upland
prairies and savannas, Oregon white oak woodlands, wet prairie, and riparian forest.

The partnership among the Krautmanns, NRCS, USFWS , and ODFW
unequivocally demonstrates that private landowners and agencies can
collaborate on efforts to protect natural resources

Lynda Boyer, a botanist employed full-time by Heritage
Seedlings, manages the Jefferson farm project. Lynda
began inventorying the flora of the farm immediately after
it was purchased by the Krautmanns. Although most of the
property has been intensively grazed for decades, Lynda
is finding remnant populations of native wildflowers and
grasses. A sample of species from her inventory include:
woodland star, prairie violet, western buttercup, camas
and blue wild rye. Lynda also supervises crews that are
thinning trees in the woodland and savanna units and
spraying invasive weeds on the prairie. Most of the heavy
brush and unwanted trees are being removed with a
tractor fitted with a shearing attachment.

A novel thinning approach is planned for dense areas
of small diameter Oregon white oaks. In most restoration projects, the oaks removed during the thinning
operation would be sold as firewood or chipped. Mark plans to utilize a mechanical tree spade developed
for the nursery industry to remove many of these oaks — including a root mass. Some of the trees are up to
15 feet tall and have already attained more than 20 years of growth. Some will be re-planted in the riparian
restoration area, others will be transported to one of the lower agricultural fields for continued growth.

Mark and Jolly Krautmann have a guiding sense that most agricultural producers care deeply about wildlife
habitat, soil conservation and water quality, as well as the productive capacity of their farms. The partnership
among the Krautmanns, NRCS, USFWS, and ODFW unequivocally demonstrates that private landowners
and agencies can collaborate on efforts to protect natural resources. Mark concludes, “We all share the same
sunshine, air, water, and land to care for and to pass to generations who will follow us. How could we possibly
act upon our stewardship responsibility without that guiding, humbling realization?”

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

■

ECOLOGY OF OREGON WHITE OAK

Species Distribution

The geographic range of Oregon white oak
stretches from its northernmost extent at
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to Los
Angeles County, California. The species occurs
throughout the Puget Trough and on islands
in Puget Sound, Washington. Its distribution
reaches eastward along the Columbia River for
approximately 125 miles. In Oregon, the species
is abundant in the Willamette, Umpqua, and
Rogue Valleys. It also can be found in localized
areas along the east side of the Cascade Range.
Oregon white oaks are common in the Klamath
Mountains and northern counties of California,
but are patchily distributed south of San
Francisco Bay. In Washington and Oregon, the
species is generally limited to elevations below
3,800 ft. In the southernmost portion of its
range, Oregon white oak occurs in elevations
up to 7,500 ft, although its form is more like a
shrub than a tree.

Reproduction and Growth

Oregon white oaks can reproduce from seeds
(acorns) or from sprouts. The average length
of an acorn is approximately 1V4 inches with a
3A inch diameter. Trees typically do not begin
producing acorns until they are about 20 years
old. Acorns usually drop from trees between
late August and November.

Acorns are further dispersed by animals who gather and carry them to food caches. Acorns
do not require a period of dormancy and may germinate soon after dispersal and fall rains.
The seedling quickly develops a deep taproot that allows its survival on dry or grassy sites.
Annual acorn production varies from tree to tree and year to year. In a good year a tree on
an average site with a 30 ft diameter crown may produce approximately 20 lbs of acorns.
Trees that are able to tap water deep underground during the summer may have higher
productivity. Trees on dry sites may produce much less.

Most Oregon white oaks actually may have grown from a sprout rather than a seed. Tree
growth proceeds much more rapidly from a sprout because it can utilize the existing root

Geographic range of Oregon white oak.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 1 1

system. Some sprouts originate from dormant buds at the
base of the tree, or from roots close to the surface, while
others arise from branches or the stem. Tree injuries, such
as cutting and fire, stimulate the growth of sprouts.

Many of the oaks standing today were living
when Lewis and Clark visited
the Northwest in 1804.

Many of the oaks standing today may have been living
when Lewis and Clark visited the Northwest in 1804. A
few trees may attain a life span of 500 years. The growth
of Oregon white oaks varies according to soil type,
competition from other trees, and other characteristics
of the site. Under the best conditions, a 100-year old tree
may reach heights greater than 80 feet. On poor sites, a
tree of the same age may only be 25 feet tall.

Soils and Topography

Oregon white oak occurs on a wide range of soils and
topographic conditions — from dry, rocky hillsides to
floodplains. However, oaks are usually out-competed on
good quality sites by faster-growing trees. Across much of
its range, Oregon white oak is restricted to locations that
are either too dry in summer or too wet in winter for most
other trees. Soils at these locations are often characterized
by heavy clays or gravelly loams. Soils that support oaks
tend to be acidic, ranging from 4. 8-5.9 in pH.

Ecological Role

Oregon white oak has a long lifespan of up to 500 years
and may persist as a climax species on sites prone to
drought or naturally occurring fire. However, Oregon
white oaks more commonly exist as an early- to mid-
seral species on better quality sites. The species has an
intermediate shade tolerance. This fact, coupled with its
slow growth, prevents Oregon white oak from enduring
in stands that contain faster-growing competitors such
as Douglas-fir, grand fir, or bigleaf maple. This is clearly
illustrated across woodlands in the region, where large, dead and dying oaks are common
underneath conifer forest canopies.

Other Oaks of the

Pacific Northwest

Oregon white oak is the most
widely distributed oak in the Pacific
Northwest, but five other members
of the genus Quercus (true oaks)
also occur in the region. A shrubby
form of Oregon white oak that grows
only in the Siskiyou Mountains
of southwest Oregon has been
named Brewer’s oak (Q, breweri,
or alternatively, Q. garryanna var.
breweri). California black oak (Q.
Kelloggii) can be found throughout
southwest Oregon, northward to
Eugene, Or. It can be most easily
distinguished from white oak by its
3-toothed, bristle-tipped leaves. As
the names implies, black oaks have
dark gray bark and white oaks have
white or tan-colored bark.

California Black
oak

Oregon White

Canyon live oak (Q. chrysolepis)
is widely distributed in California,
but is restricted in our region to
southwest Oregon. Canyon live oak
has un-lobed, evergreen leaves. In
contrast to Oregon white oak and
California black oak, the species
can thrive on shaded, north-facing
slopes. Two final species: Sadler’s
oak (Q. sadleriana) and huckleberry
oak (Q. vaccinifolia) are low shrubs
that only occur in California and the
Siskiyou region of Oregon.

Plant Associates

Several distinct plant communities associated with Oregon white oak woodlands have
been recognized, along with many different grassland types found on oak savannas. Other

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

trees that commonly occur with oaks are Douglas-fir, grand fir, ponderosa pine. Pacific
madrone, bigleaf maple, and Oregon ash. In southwest Oregon and northern California,
black oaks may coexist in stands with Oregon white oaks. Native shrubs commonly
associated with oaks include: poison oak, snowberry, oceanspray, hazel, serviceberry, and
hawthorn. Sword fern, native and non-native grasses, and a great diversity of other plants
are also found in oak woodlands and savannas.

Ecological Succession

Ecological succession (also known as plant community succession) refers to changes in
vegetation structure and composition that occur over time on a site through natural
processes. Ecological succession has played an important role in shaping current conditions
in oak habitats. Savannas and open-canopy woodlands are thought to have been much
more common prior to European settlement in the region.

It is estimated that more than 500,000 acres of
savanna covered the region in the early 1850's.

Annual burning by American Indians was reported to have left most of the valley floor
touched only by light fire, while scattered areas burned more intensely. Mature trees could
survive most ground fires, but seedlings and saplings were usually killed. The annual
burning maintained vast areas in the region as oak savannas (See pre-settlement vegetation
map, p. 4). It is estimated that more than 500,000 acres of savanna covered the region in
the early 1850's. Since then, there has been a dramatic loss of this habitat type to conifer
encroachment and land conversion. Today, less than 1% of the pre-settlement acreage
remains.

The scattered oaks that can be seen across today's agricultural landscapes are a legacy of pre-settlement oak
savannas. Native grasses and wildflowers flourished on savannas, as did elk, white-tailed deer and other animals
that are now rare on farmlands. Just a few oaks per acre can attract wildlife that would otherwise be absent from
intensively mananged agricultural fields.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 1 5

Like the native prairies that once extended across the region, savanna plant communities
were dominated by bunchgrasses such as Roemer's fescue, red fescue, and California
oatgrass. Savannas are really only distinguished from prairies by the presence of widely-
spaced trees. Oregon white oak, ponderosa pine, and Douglas-fir were some of the most
common trees that occurred on native savannas.

Woodlands subjected to frequent burning were characterized by groups of oaks, as well
as openings with only widely spaced trees. The woodland understory was generally
composed of ferns, grasses, and herbaceous plants that could re-grow quickly after a
fire. In most areas, shrubs were distributed in small, scattered patches where fires were
less frequent or deliberately left unburned by the American Indians. Most coarse, woody
debris was in the form of large diameter snags and dead branches on living trees; all but
the largest pieces of wood on the ground probably burned during the frequent fires. Pre¬
settlement landscape patterns were often complex, especially in the foothills above the
major valleys. Here, the rolling terrain caused uneven patterns of burning that left a mosaic
of open woodlands, prairies, ponderosa pine forests, and densely vegetated riparian areas.

Pre-settlement oak woodlands were characterized by relatively open canopies dominated
by trees with full, mushroom-shaped crowns.

Pre-settlement oak woodlands were characterized by relatively open
canopies dominated by trees with full, mushroom-shaped crowns.

Since the cessation of American Indian burning, Douglas-fir, grand fir, and bigleaf maple
have encroached upon stands once dominated by Oregon white oak. These tree species
grow much faster and tolerate more shade than oak.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

ammm

mmmm

Once other trees become established, Oregon white oak can no longer successfully re-seed
in their shade. It is only a matter of a few decades before even the mature oaks begin to lose
their crown spread and die, due to competition for sunlight.

The loss of crown volume reduces the
capacity of the tree to produce acorns

Most valley woodlands have already transitioned into crowded, mixed-species stands,
sometimes reaching densities of more than 1000 trees per acre. Under these conditions,
mature oaks begin to lose the lower portion of their crowns, taking on a funnel-shaped
appearance. The loss of crown volume reduces the capacity of the tree to produce acorns
and the availability of this important resource to wildlife is diminished. As encroachment
progresses, Douglas-fir eventually overtop the oaks. Bigleaf maple or grand fir often forms
a mid-story canopy layer that favors seedlings of shade-tolerant species, while excluding
oak. The multi-layered canopy and other structural characteristics of these stands more
closely resembles forests of the Coast Range or Cascades than oak woodlands and savannas
that extended across the valleys two hundred years ago.

In the absence of annual burning, woodlands and savannas once dominated by oaks eventually transition to
conifer forest. Oaks lose their lower branches and their crowns appear vase-shaped. Acorn productivity decreases
and oaks fail to reproduce.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

SETTING GOALS

Landowners are motivated to undertake oak restoration and management projects for
a variety of reasons. Wildlife habitat improvement, a desire to use native plant species
in their home landscaping design, and reducing forest fire hazards are just a few of the
reasons. This section of the Landowner's Guide is intended to assist you in formulating
goals and management objectives — the first step to planning a restoration project.

All restoration tasks should be guided by the desired future condition you foresee for your
land. Considering all of the short- and long-term land management objectives, will help
you focus on high priority actions. The following list provides examples of some typical
land management goals for three different landscape settings.

Small Woodlands

• Create or enhance habitat for fish and wildlife.

• Maintain native woodland and meadow plant communities.

• Sustain a periodic income from timber sales.

• Improve recreation opportunities.

• Reduce wildfire hazard.

Farms

• Sustain a long-term firewood
supply.

• Provide shade for livestock
in pastures.

• Protect streams from sources
of sediment and manure
runoff.

• Preserve legacy trees passed
from one generation to the
next.

• Improve oak savanna-type
habitats for wildlife and
native plants.

Almost every farm has a place for at least a few oaks.

Homes

• Increase backyard shade.

• Improve wildlife viewing
opportunities.

• Enhance landscape esthetics.

• Improve defensibility of the home and property against wildfire.

• Increase real estate value.

Of course, many of these goals would apply equally well in other settings. In many cases,
Oregon white oak may be the tree species best suited to your particular set of goals and
landscape conditions.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Goals vs. Management Objectives

Restoration goals can be broadly defined — "improve growth of existing oaks" or "to
enhance habitat for savanna bird species" are two examples. However, each goal should
be linked to one or more specific management objectives that guide which on-the-ground
actions will be necessary to achieve the goal. Objectives should be measurable or clearly
observable so that you can monitor progress toward the goal. Here are two hypothetical
examples:

Goal: Improve oak growth in the lower
management unit

o Objective 1: Reduce overtopping by
conifers

Task: Remove all conifers in the unit
during Year 1.

o Objective 2: Adjust oak spacing to 40
trees/acre during Year 2.

Task: Perform thinning — retain only
best formed trees.

o Objective 3: Maintain desired tree
spacing

Task: Thin the unit at 10 year
intervals — remove conifers; thin oaks as

needed. Careful restoration planning will ensure that you

achieve desired future conditions on your site.

Goal: Enhance habitats for savanna Dave Peter' USDA Forest Service
bird species in the north pasture

o Objective 1: Improve composition and structure of the plant community

Task: Plant native grasses and herbs during Year 1 (100 western buttercups, 100
camas, 100 white yarrow, 500 plugs of blue wildrye, 500 plugs tufted hairgrass).
o Objective 2: Protect existing oaks

Task: End all ground disturbing activities within root zone of oaks; manage invasive
weeds under oaks using spot herbicide spraying.

These two simple examples are meant to illustrate how goals are
linked to several (by no means all possible!) clearly defined objectives
and tasks. If your objectives are modest— such as just a few new
oaks for your front yard, then the entire process of planning and
implementation can usually be accomplished yourself. However,
owners of woodlands and farms contemplating a major project may
benefit by consulting with a natural resource professional early in
the planning process. This is particularly true if you must balance
multiple or complex objectives, such as managing oaks for wildlife
habitat and cattle grazing on the same ground.

There are two other good reasons to seek assistance. First, resource
professionals can help landowners navigate through state regulations

Camas

(Camassia quamash)

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

established to protect environmental quality and reduce forest fire risk. Some rules
governing forestry practices apply to small, private woodlands just as they do to large
timber operations. Second, natural resource agency staff, such as the NRCS, local soil
and water conservation districts, and state natural resources departments, can help you
determine the eligibility of your management plan for one of the many federal and state
habitat conservation programs. See Resources for Landowners for a list of agencies and
conservation programs that support woodland and savanna restoration projects.

Farewell-to-Spring ( Clarkin
amoena), form colorful drifts in
this native meadow restoration
site east of Salem, Oregon.
Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

California brome, ( Bromus
carinatus), a native grass
associated with prairie
and Oregon white oak.
Increasing native species
such as this and Clarkia
(above) is often one of several
goals a landowner may have
for their land.

Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

18 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

lz>erCC6rv CviA+xCi^, 0/te^or^

When Warren Halsey, who purchases and manages timber properties, first saw the aerial photo of the 270-
acre farm along Muddy Creek, it was the large Douglas-firs that caught his eye. The standing trees made the
farm a good value for his investment partnership. Warren and his wife Laurie came up from California to take
a closer look at the property. The Halseys were so taken by the richness of the plant communities and wildlife
they observed, both realized that it wasn’t a timber investment they had found, it was a home.

For the last 10 years the Halseys have been
transforming the old farm they call Raindance Ranch
into a landscape mosaic composed of wetlands, oak
savanna, managed pastures, and conifer forest. The
first project, funded in part by the NRCS Wetland
Reserve Program, was the construction of four large
ponds along the creek to create habitat for waterfowl
and winter shorebirds. The ponds are now used
by dozens of resident and migratory bird species,
red-legged frogs, western pond turtles, raccoons,
black-tailed deer and Roosevelt elk. But that was

just the beginning. The Halseys, guided by USFWS
biologist Steve Smith, next turned their attention
to the wetlands, prairies, and a riparian corridor.

The wetland and prairie restoration remains a
work in progress, but wildlife is already responding
to improving habitat conditions. In 2003, they Arv}ew of Raindance Ranch just after an oak thinning. Most

began a major oak habitat restoration project that & t

includes most of the upland areas of the ranch. The

Douglas-fir stands concealed dense patches of small diameter oaks, and huge, decadent trees having the
characteristic open-grown form. The large oaks are a legacy from the days when Kalapuya families burned
the prairies and most of Raindance Ranch was an oak savanna.

The first phase of the woodland restoration involved mechanical brush removal (mostly non-native blackberry
species) and a pre-commercial thinning to release the suppressed oaks. Approximately 100 of the healthiest
oaks per acre were retained. This tree density is greater than the desired future condition, but some of the
remaining trees will be lost to windthrow and during the commercial harvest of Douglas-fir. The brush removal
and thinning resulted in a large amount of slash in the woodland. A specialized chipper towed behind a
tractor reduced the size of the material. A broadcast burn will be conducted this year to reduce the volume
of the wood chips. Other areas of the ranch will be restored to an oak savanna community. The Halseys
are fortunate that healthy, solitary Oregon white oaks still remained in the pastures. In one field, a tractor-
pulled applicator, designed to wipe herbicide across only the tallest vegetation, will be used to release native
grasses and herbs from a non-native fescue dominating the plant community. Another field will be completely
regenerated using broadcast herbicide spray, followed by a planting of native prairie species. The Halseys
know they cannot recreate the same savanna conditions that the pioneers found when they first arrived in
Oregon, but they do want to do their part in improving this valuable type of habitat so critical to the many plant
and animal species in decline in the Willamette Valley.

Warren and Laurie Halsey clearly respect the biological diversity of native plant and wildlife communities.
However, Raindance Ranch is a working, agricultural and forestry operation. An organically certified cattle
herd grazes under the oaks on managed pastures. Grass seed and other crops are produced on fields among
the restored prairies and woodlands. Many of the Douglas-firs will be harvested when log prices go up. The
Halseys have found a wonderful balance between commodity production and their stewardship of the native
places on the ranch. The Halseys consider Raindance Ranch a work in progress. They look forward to new
conservation projects, research, and sharing their restoration experience with other landowners.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 19

■

ASSESSING YOUR SITE

All major restoration work should begin with an assessment of physical and
biological conditions on the site. There are three major reasons for conducting a site
assessment before beginning on-the-ground activities:

• To describe the present condition of natural resources on your land that can contribute
to defining and achieving your oak restoration and management goals. The information
collected should help you decide whether the restoration site is better suited as an oak
savanna, woodland, or other type of plant community.

• To identify management problems that will need to be addressed. Examples include:
suppression of oaks by other tree species, invasive weeds, or droughty site conditions.

• To collect the information for preparing a management plan required by an agency
funding your project.

Soils, vegetation, and wildlife use can vary greatly over different portions of a large,
rural property. Therefore, it makes sense to sub-divide your property into relatively
homogeneous units (based on vegetation or land use) for the purpose of the assessment
and management.

The scope of your assessment should be driven
by the complexity and scale of your project.

A comprehensive site assessment typically addresses six major topics:

• Soils ->

• Natural features

• Land use

• Overstory tree information

• Understory conditions

• Wildlife observations

• Maps and aerial photographs

A description of each of these topics is provided below. Your assessment may not need
to address each in detail, or may not need to include some topics at all. The scope of
your assessment should be driven by the complexity and scale of your project. Many
landowners will choose to have an assessment conducted by a consulting forester or
restoration specialist. Assistance is available if you are interested in performing all or
parts of the assessment yourself. Most university extension offices and small woodland
owners associations offer workshops, short courses, and written guides for conducting
basic natural resource assessments. See Resources for Landowners at the end of this Guide for
finding further information sources about assessments.

Soils Description

The types of soil that occur on your property are one of the principal factors in determining
the composition and productivity of the plant community. A description and assessment
of soils can help you (and natural resource professionals) assess whether Oregon white

20 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

oak is suited to your site. It may also reveal potential management problems such as soils
that are prone to erosion or compaction. Collecting soils information for your restoration
project is largely a research and mapping effort, rather than an on-the-ground activity. Soils
information can be found in soil survey reports prepared for your county and published
by the NRCS. These reports include maps and useful information about the physical and
biological characteristics of different soil types. Soil survey reports are available on the
internet, from NRCS offices and at many local libraries.

Overstory Trees Western gray squirrel

Trees are the principle characteristic that (Sciur us gi iseus)

defines woodlands and savannas. Not
surprisingly, much of your assessment will focus on collecting information about oaks and
other trees. There are three major reasons for assessing the species composition, size, and
health of the existing trees before beginning on-the-ground restoration activities.

Natural Features

Your assessment report should identify
important natural features in the
vicinity of the restoration site such as
streams, riparian areas, wetlands, cliffs,
and caves. This information can be used
to identify restoration opportunities for
unique plants, fish, and wildlife on your
property. Much of this information can
be presented in your assessment report
by including a copy of the portion of a
USGS 1:24,000 scale topographic map
that covers
your property.

Tree data collected before restoration work begins can establish baseline
conditions to which future surveys can be compared

First, the information is essential in determining the types of management activities that
will be necessary to achieve your restoration goals. Second, a tree survey can determine the
volume and commercial value of standing timber on your restoration site. This information
is useful if you are planning to pay for your project by selling the trees that are removed
during a tree thinning. Finally, the tree data collected before restoration work begins
can establish baseline conditions to which future surveys can be compared. Appendix I
provides an introduction to data collection for those landowners wishing to perform a tree
survey.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Understory Conditions

An assessment should also address the following three major features of the understory
layer:

Oak Regeneration

Estimating the abundance of
natural regeneration on your
restoration site is useful for
determining whether it will be
necessary to plant additional
acorns or seedlings. Regeneration
surveys are typically conducted by
counting seedlings (diameter less
than 2 in) and saplings (diameter
between 2-4 in) on 1/100-ac plots
(circular plot =11.78 ft radius;
square plot =20.9 ft per side)
located systematically throughout
the management unit. Multiply
plot counts by 100 to convert to
a per acre basis. See Appendix
I for further information about
establishing data collection plots.

Understory Plant Community
Composition

This can be a short narrative that
identifies species and their relative
abundance ("most common", less
common", "rare") of shrubs, ferns,
herbaceous plants, and grasses.

You should pay particular attention
to rare or desirable species of
plants that you wish to protect and
manage. Also note invasive weeds
that are becoming a problem on
your site.

Snags and Logs

Dead trees and fallen logs are a

crucial habitat element for many wildlife species. A comprehensive stand assessment
should provide a qualitative description of snag and log abundance on the restoration
site. A systematic survey is even better. Snags can be tallied on the same measurement
plots that were established for live tree measurements. Log abundance can be
estimated by measuring the total length of logs in different diameter classes on 1/100-ac
regeneration plots.

Stand Tables

Stand tables can provide a wealth of information about
the composition and structure of a woodland. Stand tables
are commonly constructed by summing tree counts taken
from all the plots established in a stand, then multiplying
the value by the appropriate factor to convert to a per acre
basis.

The example below represents a woodland currently
dominated by Oregon white oak. However, the presence
of faster-growing species in the smaller size classes sug¬
gests the oaks will be overtopped in a few decades unless
the landowner intervenes.

DBH

(inches)

Douglas-

fir

Grand Fir Oregon

Ash

Bigleaf

Maple

Oregon

White

Oak

1.6

118

0.9

0.2

0.4

1.4

0.1

0.7

0.6

0.2

Values are trees per acre (TPA)
DBH: Diameter at breast height

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Wildlife Observations

It's surprising how few site assessments
include wildlife surveys or even informal
observations, even though providing
benefits to wildlife is one of the primary
motivations for landowners to undertake
oak restoration projects. Perhaps it's because
most landowners feel they don't have the
skills to identify the amphibians, reptiles,
birds, and mammals that share their lands.

We encourage you to pick up some wildlife
field guides and begin to make a list of
species that you are able to identify. Your list
can be made more informative if you record
the date of observation and general location on your land.

Borage is a common wildflower in open
woodlands and savannas.

Maps and Aerial Photos

Maps and aerial photographs are important for understanding the positions of property
boundaries, access roads, and natural features on the landscape. Such information is crucial
for developing a restoration strategy.

Besides maps , soil survey reports include useful information about the
capability of your land to support different tree

zies and crops

Aerial photos can be purchased as prints or as
digital images from the USGS, NRCS, or private
vendors. Black and white photos are suitable for
most planning purposes. Tax lot maps are useful
for showing your property boundaries and local
road access. Landowners can acquire tax lot maps
for their property from their county assessor. Soil
series maps are available in NRCS soil survey
reports prepared for each county. Besides maps,
soil survey reports include useful information
about the capability of your land to support
different tree species and crops. Soil survey
reports are available from NRCS offices, many
local libraries, and at the NRCS website (See
Resources for Landowners).

USGS 1:24:000 scale topographic maps are very
useful for describing the positions of natural and
man-made features around your property.

Landowners may also want to consider having
resource maps and photos prepared by a natural
resource consultant such as a professional
forester. Depending upon the size of the area and
map complexity, the cost of these maps can range

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

■H

wmmmmm

between $400-$1500. Most federal and state habitat conservation programs will cover the
cost of preparing natural resource maps when your property is enrolled in one of their
programs.

Massive old-growth oak on Jefferson Farm, Willamette Valley. An assessment or inventory could
include individual trees and their locations if they are important because of their relative rarity or
value.

Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

24 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

HHHHHHHUHHI

RESTORATION PLANNING

Now that you've developed a set of management goals and assessed current conditions
on your site, you are ready to start planning on-the-ground actions to achieve the desired
future condition on your site. The following sections describe major oak management
issues on private woodlands, farms, and around homes. We go on to further describe how
to develop planning strategies for wildlife habitats and conclude with a section on writing
a management plan.

Planning for Small Woodlands

The small, private woodlands of western Oregon and Washington offer some of the
best oak conservation opportunities in the region. However, managing woodlands for
large, healthy oaks is not without its challenges. For example, oaks can attain such high
densities in some woodlands that competition among trees may cause the entire stand to
stagnate and become unable to regenerate itself. In contrast, some large areas of the Pacific
Northwest (such as the Puget lowlands of Washington) have only small, remnant patches
of oak habitat. Here, the challenge is to establish new woodlands and savannas. Of course,
conifer encroachment in once pure stands of oak is a pervasive management problem
across the entire geographic range of Oregon white oak.

" In the absence of fire in an oak savanna ecosystem ,
cutting oak trees is not a bad thing , it is a necessity."

Jock Beall, Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Biologist

Thinning Stands for Oak Survival and
Growth

Perhaps the most widespread threat
to Oregon white oak habitat is the
continuing replacement of oaks by other
tree species. In the absence of fire or active
management, tree densities will continue
to increase on oak savannas until they
become oak or mixed-species woodlands.

In just a few decades, these woodlands will
almost always become dominated by faster
growing conifers and other more shade-
tolerant trees until oaks are completely
eliminated from the stand. Such is the
situation currently developing in valleys
and foothills across the Pacific Northwest.

Thinning is a practice in which some trees are removed to increase the growth of the trees
that are retained. This effect is achieved by reducing competition among trees for limited
amounts of water, nutrients, and sunlight. The remaining trees utilize these additional

A low-impact tractor removing small trees during a
savanna restoration project on the Baskett Slough National
Wildlife Refuge.

Chris Seal, USFWS.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 25

resources by increasing their rate of photosynthesis and producing new wood and other
tissues. A "release" thinning refers to a treatment designed to favor one tree species by
removing less desirable species dominating the site, such as removing conifers to ensure
the survival and growth of oaks. Thinning permits you to manage the process of tree
competition and dominance. Some advantages of thinning include:

• Provides an opportunity for landowners to harvest and sell trees.

• Can be used to release oaks from conifers that will otherwise dominate the site.

• Promotes faster growth of selected trees than is possible under natural processes of tree
competition and mortality.

• Allows landowners to select for certain tree species and shape woodland structure to
best meet their management plans.

Selling Your Trees

As noted above, thinning your woodland also creates an opportunity to sell the harvested
trees and pay for some or all of the costs associated with managing your oaks. Selling
small diameter logs as cordwood can be profitable if you do most of the work yourself. But
remember— you still may need to pay timber harvest taxes on your small operation. Large,
good quality logs from Douglas-fir trees can be worth more than $600 per 1000 board feet
(1 board foot = 12" X 12"X 1") in many current markets. Red alder, bigleaf maple, and
grand fir timber may have lesser value. Trees as small as 5" DBH may even be marketable
in some locations.

Just how profitable a timber sale on your land can be depends
on many factors: the species, size, and quality of the trees,
difficulty of logging, distance to mills, and taxes are just a few.
Calculating the potential value of the trees you are intending
to harvest during a thinning operation requires a set of
special skills and knowledge. Agencies such as the Oregon
Department of Forestry, Washington Department of Natural
Resources, and university extension offices in both states offer
technical assistance in the form of workshops, publications,
and guidance by staff to landowners willing to try managing
their own timber sale. Since timber harvests in both states are
regulated by forest practices laws, landowners should check
with state forestry agencies before beginning, in any case. We
recommend that landowners with little experience in woodland
management discuss their plans with a professional consulting

Oregon white oak is among the best species in the world for the manufacture of wine
barrels. The wood also has very good qualities for furniture. Yet, no strong market has
developed for Oregon white oak. The most significant problem is that the supply of oak
logs from private lands has been so inconsistent, that mills can't afford to develop the
special facilities for processing oak lumber. Nevertheless, there are a few small hardwood
mills in the region that will purchase Oregon white oak logs.

Contact your local state forestry or natural resources agency for
the names of these specialty sawmills.

Snags are not as abundant in
oak woodlands as they are in
conifer forests. However, they
provide an important habitat
element for wildlife associated
with oaks.

26 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

forester. Consulting foresters are very familiar with local transportation options and mill
prices and may be able to bring your logs to market more profitably than you are able to do
yourself.

Snags and Logs

Trees continue to fulfill important ecological functions even after they die. Dead wood
is important in soil development, provides nutrients to streams, and is essential for
maintaining fungi and other microorganisms that are the foundation for woodland food
webs. Snags, stumps, and large-diameter logs are reportedly used by 93 forest or woodland
species of wildlife and 47 species associated with savannas.

Landowners can improve conditions for wildlife by maintaining
snags and downed logs on their property

Oregon white oak/Douglas-fir forests typically average more than 4 snags (diameter
larger than 10 inches DBH) per acre. This habitat type averages approximately 700 ft3 /ac
of logs on the ground — equivalent to 122 logs per ac having a length of 8' and diameter of
16"). While this may represent relatively high levels, due to the Douglas-fir component,
landowners can improve conditions for wildlife by maintaining some level of snags and
downed logs on their property. "Hard" snags, formed by recently dead trees, and "soft",
decayed snags, are utilized by different species for different purposes. A range of hard and
soft snags should be retained. Tall, large-diameter snags (larger than 20 inches DBH) are
particularly valuable because of their rarity. Large snags and logs scattered widely also do
not create as serious a fire hazard as a continuous ground cover of fine woody debris.

Minimum recommended diameters (inches DBH) and heights (feet) for snags needed by 12
wildlife species common in Oregon white oak habitats.

_ . Minimum Diameter Minimum

(inches DBH) Height (feet)

Pileated woodpecker

Lewis woodpecker

Acorn woodpecker

Western screech owl

American kestrel

Western bluebird

White-breasted nuthatch

Black-capped chickadee

Little brown myotis

Western gray squirrel

Northern flying squirrel

Bobcat

Source: Brown, E.R. 1985. Management of wildlife and fish habitats in forests of western Oregon and Washington. U.S. Forest Service,
Pacific Northwest Region Publication R6-F&WF-192-1985.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 27

Decision-Making Guide:
Overstory Trees

This flowchart is intended to help guide you through
planning on-the-ground activities for shaping
overstory structure. How you respond to questions

Start ■♦Do you have oaks
on your property now?

■V

28 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Making Decisions

Restoring a woodland or savanna can seem an intimidating prospect for landowners not
familiar with natural resource management. It's not often clear what path is most likely to
lead you to achieving your goals, given the conditions on your land. To assist you in the
planning process, an overstory decision-making guide is provided on the previous page.
This diagram is designed to identify which tasks you should consider including in your
management plan given the existing conditions
on your property. An accompanying guide for
understory management is provided on p. 31.

Planning for Oaks on Farms

Agricultural producers can make an important
contribution to oak conservation, while preserving
these legacy trees for future generations of
their own family. One or two oaks per acre in a
pasture or vineyard won't greatly interfere with
your management practices, but will provide an

important habitat element for wildlife On your land, wildlife and improves their ability to migrate

across agricultural landscapes.

Crop management practices

Tilling and other soil-disturbing activities near trees can sever or injure their roots. This
reduces the capability of the tree to uptake water and nutrients. Root injuries also create
pathways for insect pests and soil-born diseases to enter the tree. Farmers can protect oaks
by leaving soil undisturbed to the drip line of the tree crown. Tractor mowing underneath
oaks can cause soil compaction in the root zone. Although it is certainly more work,
manual control of weeds and brush under valuable legacy oaks is much safer for the tree.

A small patch of woodland creates a refuge for

Oaks and livestock

Oak seedlings and saplings, if desired for future habitat, that are growing in areas
accessible to livestock will need to be protected in sturdy cages to prevent them from being
eaten or trampled. Mature trees can be injured by soil compaction or root exposure caused
by animals aggregating under trees. Soil compaction can be particularly severe during wet
weather and on fine-textured soils such as clay. Landowners
should avoid using oak woodlands as overwintering areas for
animals. Livestock can utilize tree shade without damaging oaks
if watering facilities, feeding areas, salt block locations, and trees
are widely spaced, encouraging animals to use the entire pasture
unit. Landowners should monitor the health of oaks and soil
conditions on pastures and take the necessary steps to protect
the trees when problems develop.

Plant additional oaks

Plant acorns and seedlings in windbreaks, pastures, riparian
areas, hedgerows, and odd areas to serve as replacements when
existing trees die or to increase the number of oaks on your farm.

Remember to install strong tree shelters to protect oaks in areas _ . . ,

° r Delphinium leucophaeum

used by livestock. Pa,e Larkspur

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 29

Restore Savanna Understory Plants

Native prairies and savannas are among the most endangered plant communities in the
Puget lowlands of Washington and interior valleys of Oregon. Agricultural practices,
urbanization, altered wildfire patterns, and non-native invasive plant species are a few
of the factors contributing to the decline of these habitat types. Landowners who have a
remnant of native grassland that has never been plowed truly possess a biological jewel.
Restoring the full range of understory plant diversity associated with Oregon white oak
savannas and native prairies is among the highest conservation priorities in the Pacific
Northwest. Farmers are encouraged to participate in this effort. Not surprisingly, these
projects are considerably more demanding than managing only trees. Not only does the
number of plant species increase the complexity of the restoration, but maintaining these
native communities requires management activities such as prescribed burning or manual
weed control at frequent intervals to simulate natural disturbances. The decision-making
guide on p. 31 identifies the major tasks needed to restore understory plant communities
on oak savannas and open woodlands. See the sections Resources for Landowners and
Suggested Reading in this Guide for further technical information on restoring savanna and
prairie plant communities, as well as funding opportunities to support these projects on
private lands. Landowners willing to commit to such an endeavor will be rewarded with an
annual display of native flowers, butterflies and wildlife.

Enroll in Conservation Programs

Conserving oak habitats has become a high priority issue for the NRCS, Farm Service
Agency (FSA), US Fish and Wildlife Service, and soil and water conservation districts.
Lynda Boyer, a restoration botanist working in Marion County, OR says the staffs at these
agencies “bent over backwards!" to help her develop grant proposals and management
plans for her projects. Contact your local FSA and NRCS offices to find out more about the
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP).
ODFW and WDFW administer Landowner Incentive Programs (LIP) to offer support
to habitat restoration on private lands. Moving a portion of your farm into one of these
conservation program will allow you to accomplish restoration goals (for example,
the restoration of native grasses and wildflowers on an oak savanna) not possible on
production lands.

Balsamroot ( Balsamorhiza deltoidea) a taprooted
perennial in the aster family, is a savanna understory
plant often associated with Oregon white oak. It is a
species often targeted for increase in restoration work
on dry sites.

Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

30 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Home Landscaping with Oaks

Homeowners living in the city or in rural residential areas can contribute to the
conservation of Oregon white oaks by preserving existing trees on their property and
by choosing to grow additional ones. Oaks may also be one of the safest shade trees
homeowners can plant near forest and shrublands prone to wildland fire. Ensuring healthy
trees and a fire resistant landscape depends upon an awareness of the site requirements of
Oregon white oak and thoughtful planning.

Ensure Adequate Space

When choosing sites to plant oaks, bear in mind the size of the mature tree that will
eventually occupy the site. An Oregon white oak can grow to the height of a five-story
building and its crown can spread more than 20 feet from the stem. The root zone can
laterally extend even further. Clearly, oaks are not the best choice for small city lots. Before
planting, make sure your trees have plenty of space above ground and below.

The root zone of a young oak may extend laterally beyond the
drip line by as much as twice the radius of the tree crown

Protecting the Root Zone

Homeowners should be mindful
that most of an Oregon white
oak consists of roots hidden
underground. The root zone of a
young oak may extend laterally
beyond the drip line by as much as
twice the radius of the tree crown.

Most of the root system is relatively
shallow, making it vulnerable
to ground-disturbing activities.

Sapling-size oaks are tolerant of
changes in irrigation patterns, but
mature oaks may be damaged
by over-watering. Homeowners
should consider how the following
activities affect the health of oaks.

Soil Excavation — Digging building
foundations or underground utility

lines near trees can sever roots, which reduces the tree's capacity to uptake water and
nutrients. Root injuries are also common infection sites for tree diseases and insect pests.
Soil Compaction— The microscopic spaces between soil particles are crucial to gas
exchange that occurs between the tree and the underground environment. Heavy
equipment moving near trees can compress the soil, decreasing its permeability and
inhibiting gas exchange.

This oak has plenty of room to grow in a suburban front yard.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Paving— Nonporous surfaces such as concrete and
asphalt can prevent rainwater from infiltrating down
to the root zone, effectively creating a permanent
drought on the site. Use porous materials such as bark,
wood decking, gravel, or unjointed paving stones if a
driveway or sidewalk is unavoidable over the root zone
of a tree.

Irrigation— Moderate irrigation is beneficial to newly
planted acorns and seedlings. However, established
oaks are adapted to summer drought and do not require
watering. In fact, irrigation may lead to root rot or cause
flowering late in the summer, thereby precluding acorn
production. Homeowners should avoid watering lawns
underneath oaks to maintain tree health. Instead, they
should consider landscaping near oaks with Pacific
Northwest native grasses, perennial herbs, and shrubs.

Native woodland or prairie plants can be used to create
a natural landscape, and many species do not need
summer irrigation once established.

Home Protection in the Wildland-Urban Interface

Most of us have watched news stories from California,
central Oregon, and Montana showing residential areas
destroyed or threatened by wildland fires. Yet, most
homeowners living in the wildland-urban interface
usually do not recognize fire hazards in their own
neighborhoods. In spite of rigorous, on-going fire
prevention efforts on public and private industrial
forests, hundreds of wildland fires will occur every year in the Pacific Northwest. Families
living near forests or shrublands should carefully assess the vulnerability of their own
homes to fire and develop a fire safety plan.

...the same characteristics that allowed Oregon white oaks to persist on fire-
prone savannas make this species one of the safest choices for a shade tree

The amount of live and dead vegetation surrounding a home is perhaps the single
most critical factor in determining the outcome of a wildland fire on your property.
Landscaping design and vegetation management must play an important role in your
overall fire safety plan. Since homeowners can do little to control the probability of a
fire on adjoining properties, the foremost principle to residential fire protection in the
wildland-urban interface is to create a "defensible" space around your home. In other
words, give firefighters the best possible chance of protecting your home in the face of
approaching flames by taking preventive actions now. Within the defensible space, live and
dead vegetation should be managed so that the likelihood of fire reaching your home is
minimized. Beyond the defensible space, your planning should focus on ensuring access to
your property for large emergency vehicles.

Do you need to worry about
sudden oak death?

The pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum,
is responsible for the recent outbreak
of Sudden Oak Death (SOD). The
disease causes leaf disfigurement,
twig dieback, and eventually causes
the death of the tree. Although the
pathogen originated in Europe, it now
occurs in California and the Pacific
Northwest.

There are 23 known host plants in 12
plant families that SOD has infected
in natural settings: black oak, tanoak,
coast live oak, Douglas-fir, big leaf
maple, Pacific madrone, and poison
oak, to name just a few. So far, natural
populations of Oregon white oak have
never been found to be infected with
SOD. However, the species has been
shown to be vulnerable to the disease
under laboratory conditions.

At this time, the extent of the outbreak
and list of potential host species is
being revised on a month-by-month
basis.

Go to www.suddenoakdeath.org for
up-to-date information on SOD.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 33

Groups of shrubs and trees retained within the
defensible space should have gaps between them
to slow the advance of ground fires. Planting
shrubs directly under trees may create a "fuel
ladder," allowing a ground fire to climb into
tree crowns. This is the most dangerous type
of fire situation near a home. Fortunately, the
same characteristics that allowed Oregon white
oaks to persist on fire-prone savannas make this
species one of the safest choices for a shade tree.
Oaks contain less resin, a flammable substance,
than do conifers, they have a corky bark that
insulates the stem from fire damage, and an
open crown structure less likely to carry a crown
fire. Homeowners have numerous resources
available to help them develop a fire protection
plan designed for their property. For more
information, contact your local fire department,
state department of forestry or natural resources,
or the websites listed later in this Guide (see
Resources for Landowners).

Wolves and grizzly bears hunted large
herbivores among the oaks , and
California condors scavenged
the carcasses of their victims

Enhancing Wildlife Habitats

Wildlife thrived in the pre-settlement savannas
and oak woodlands of the Pacific Northwest.
Columbia white-tailed deer and Roosevelt elk
once roamed widely across the lowlands. Wolves
and grizzly bears hunted these large herbivores
among the oaks, and California condors
scavenged the carcasses of their victims. Although

The design and size of the defensible space around your home depends on factors such as
the type of roofing and siding materials on your house, the slope of the site, and the heights
of trees and shrubs. On a flat, open site, a defensible space should extend at least 70 ft from
the home and other buildings. However, over 200 ft may be needed on a steep site or in a
dense forest setting. Within this space, no vegetation should exist within 3 ft of flammable
siding. It is recommended that trees near the

home be removed, or at least pruned to 10 ft Rerha^sfeTotherw^dlffespedes are so

above ground. closely associated with oaks as the acorn

woodpecker. Acorn woodpeckers have an
unusual, communal, social structure for an
avian species. Acorn woodpecker groups
typically consist of 1-7 male breeders that
compete for 1-3 egg-laying females. Groups
may also contain several adult, non-breeding
helpers that are usually related to the
breeding adults. Females within the same
group all lay their eggs within the same tree
cavity.

The species differs from most other
woodpeckers in the Pacific Northwest in
that they pursue and capture flying insects
rather than excavating them from dead
wood. The preference for airborne insects
leads to seasonal food shortages for the
acorn woodpecker given the scarcity of this
resource during winter. Instead of migrating
south, the species has adapted to the
seasonal decrease in insect abundance
by switching to a more plentiful source of
food — acorns. Each woodpecker may collect
thousands of acorns during a good year.

Each acorn is stored in an individually drilled
hole in a tree (or cluster of trees) designated
by the group as the communal “granary”. A
single tree may contain as many as 50,000
holes. The acorns are shared among all
members of the group through the winter.

This strategy of sharing stored resources
permits the woodpecker group to remain
intact though the winter.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Flabitats

HHHHnHHHHHHHH

■■H

■

the large carnivores are long gone from western Oregon and Washington, much of the
wildlife diversity associated with oak woodlands and savannas remains today. Considering
the impact that cities, agriculture, and roads have made on the landscape, it's remarkable
that only six of the approximately 200 vertebrate species that use oak habitats in the region
are listed as endangered, threatened, or are candidates for such listing by the US Fish and
Wildlife Service. Nevertheless, there is evidence that habitat loss or fragmentation poses an
increasingly serious threat to perhaps two dozen more species in the Puget lowlands and
valleys of western Oregon. Among the most imperiled species are the western rattlesnake,
western meadowlark, vesper sparrow, streaked horned lark, and Botta's pocket gopher.
What steps can landowners take to enhance conditions for wildlife on their property?

Here are some points to remember:

Small Woodland Owners

• Protect existing oaks from encroachment by other tree species. Dense, mixed species
stands are relatively common — pure oak woodlands are a rare habitat type.

• On large properties, manage for a variety of patch sizes and types. Some wildlife species
prefer large, closed-canopy stands of oaks, other species prefer stands with canopy
gaps, and still others tend to use edges between woodlands and open areas.

• Ensure adequate spacing among oaks to maintain tree growth and health. Thin oaks
before tree canopies begin to overlap.

• Maintain or create large diameter snags and logs for wildlife.

Farmlands

A mosaic of pastures and woodlots do somewhat resemble the historic landscape to
the human eye. But to wildlife of the savannas and prairies, there are very important
differences. When planning restoration activities on farmlands, consider the following
conditions and how you can reduce their impact to enhance wildlife habitat.

• Habitat Structure — native prairies and savannas were characterized by very subtle
habitat variations such as patches of ferns, forbs and bare areas interspersed among
grasses, as well as vegetation gradients from
hilltops to wetlands. Most of this variation
is absent from modern grass seed fields,
orchards, and row crops.

• Developments and Roads — Some wildlife
species are very sensitive to the presence of
humans. The increased human population
in the Willamette Valley and Puget Trough
now excludes elk and large carnivores from
these regions. Freeways and major highways
can present major barriers to migration and
dispersal by terrestrial wildlife.

• Pesticides — Caterpillars, grasshoppers, and
beetles are the most important foods for many
wildlife species. Widespread use of pesticides
on agricultural lands has greatly reduced the
abundance of these insects. Food shortages

Nemorici Darwiniata is a common native moth
associated with white oaks. Larvae of this
species belong to the group of caterpillers
known as "inchworms"

(Family: Geometridae.)

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 35

limit animal growth and reproductive capacity.

• "Ecological Traps"— These are areas that have suitable habitat structure for some
wildlife species. However, animals that use these areas have lower survival or
reproductive rates. For example, the edge of a hay field may attract a western
meadowlark to nest in May, but the fledglings are lost when the field is mowed in
June. Snakes that are attracted to roadsides to bask in the sun, and then run over by a
car, is another example of an ecological trap.

Writing a Management Plan

The next step to undertaking a major restoration project is to prepare a management plan,
also known as a stewardship plan. Whether you choose to seek funding assistance with
your project or pursue it independently, a manangement plan is a useful step. This written
document defines your goals, describes existing conditions of the natural resources and
improvements, and identifies management actions you intend to take. The length and
detail of the management plan depends upon the scale of the restoration project. Most
federal and state agencies require the following major elements of a plan when you apply
for assistance:

• Property description

• Restoration and management goals

• Narrative descriptions of management units

• Maps of management units, natural resources, and major land improvements

• Work plan

The following sections are meant to be a general guide to preparing your oak management
or stewardship plan. The federal, state, or private conservation program that you perhaps
decide to work with may have slightly different requirements.

The Property Description

The property description section of your management plan should include the following
information:

• Ownership: The name and address of the current landowner on whose property
restoration and management actions will occur.

• Location: County, distance and direction from nearest town. Directions for accessing the
property from public roads.

• Legal Description & Tax Status: A legal description of the property as described on the
deed and its property tax status.

Goals and Management Objectives

The plan should summarize your primary restoration goals and management objectives.
See Setting Goals for guidance.

Management Unit Narrative

Your plan should include the following information for each of the different management
units on the property:

• Identifier: Name or identification number for the unit.

36 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

• Soils: See Assessing Your Site for an introduction to soil assessment.

• Cover type: The type of existing natural vegetation (for example, "Douglas-fir/Oregon
white oak") or predominant land use (for example, "filbert orchard"). State and federal
agencies use slightly different cover type classification systems. We recommend you
contact a representative from the natural resource agency you are working with to find
out the cover type classes appropriate for your property.

• Other Descriptors: Acreage, plant species composition, stocking, size class of trees, and
site quality index value.

• History: A summary of the land use history in the unit.

• Management Objective: Identify the restoration or management objectives for this unit
and the on-the-ground actions that are planned to attain these objectives.

Maps and Aerial Photos

See p. 23 in Assessing Your Site for a description of maps and photos that are useful for
natural resource planning.

Work Plan

The final section of the management plan is the work plan, an outline of on-the-ground
restoration and management activities you plan over the next five- to ten-year period.
Using information gained in the site assessment and comparing the conditions you
presently have with the goals that you have established for your property, you can develop
a set of actions that will lead to your goal. To help determine effective activities, use the
decision-making guides (p. 28 and p. 31) in this chapter. This work plan should provide a
brief description of each activity and when it will be performed. This section should also
indicate the relative priority of task, so that reviewers can anticipate how you may adjust
the plan in case of unforeseen circumstances (for example, a budget shortfall). A table or
list that summarizes activities by management unit is a useful addition to the plan.

Scotch broom can be controlled by grubbing, as in this photo. However, repeated treatments
may be necessary due to seed that remains on the site. In preparing a work plan, described
above, repeated treatments should be listed until objectives are expected to be met.

Hugh Snook, BLM

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 37

'The&en,

Karen Thelen has been growing Christmas trees on her 17-acre farm in Cowlitz County, Washington since
the early 1980’s. Her Christmas tree farm had transitioned to an almost entirely organic operation when she
ended choose-and-cut sales a couple of years ago. Many of Karen’s fast-growing Douglas-firs were getting
too tall for the Christmas tree market, so she decided to manage most of her farm as a woodlot.

Karen's restoration project illustrates how much a
landowner can accomplish in just a few years.

Karen became interested in oak conservation when Rachel Maggi, a NRCS representative, explained to her
that much of Cowlitz County was covered in Oregon white oak woodlands and savanna when the first settlers
arrived. Karen was aware of the oaks on her farm, but hadn’t thought too much about them until then. That
changed when she realized that these old trees were a legacy of an important habitat type fast disappearing
in Washington. Karen and Rachel soon began
planning a savanna restoration project on a
portion of the farm. Karen hired Mark Smith of
Woodland Harvest & Landscaping to do the on-
the-ground work. Mark used a small tractor with
saw and grapple attachments. The machine
makes it possible to cut and handle trees much
faster than can be accomplished by manual
felling and conventional tractor skidding. The
tractor can also be used in small settings in
which larger equipment would cause incidental
damage to trees. This year, Karen is looking for
sources of acorns and seedlings so that she
can plant additional oaks. Karen’s restoration
project illustrates how much a private
landowner can accomplish in just a few years.

She is well on the way to restoring several
acres of open woodland and oak savanna in an
area where such habitat has become rare.

A view of Karen Thelen's savanna restoration area.

Rachel Maggi, NRCS.

Much of the restoration work already accomplished on Karen’s farm was funded through the NRCS Wildlife
Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). The long process of enrolling in the program, receiving approval for
management activities, and getting paid seemed “as slow as molasses,” Karen reports. In spite of the
frustration, Karen is grateful for the encouragement and technical assistance provided by Rachel Maggi
and local NRCS staff. There is a tremendous amount of money available to support restoration projects on
private lands. Karen encourages other landowners to contact the agencies to see if there is a conservation
program that will work for them. But it’s important to remember that securing funding, like most other aspects
of ecological restoration, demands patience and a long-range perspective.

38 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

WORKING ON THE GROUND

This section provides an overview of common on-the-ground tasks for restoring oak
habitats. Landowners can tackle much of the fieldwork necessary for managing small oak
woodlands or savannas. However, some tasks such as tree felling and broadcast burning
can be extremely dangerous, and are better left to professionals. Other activities require a
greater level of knowledge and skill than can be addressed in this Guide. Landowners are
encouraged to seek out educational materials and training opportunities from university
extension services, state resource management agencies, and small woodland associations.
See the section on Resources for Landowners for further information. If you already have oaks
on your property, begin by reading Shaping the Overstory below. You may want to skip to
Establishing Oaks (p. 43) if your restoration project will start with a tree planting.

Shaping the Overstory

As you walk through your stand, observe the species of trees, the health of the oaks, and
stand density. These factors will guide which trees to cut and which to retain.

Remove Conifers First

Douglas-fir, grand fir, ponderosa
pine, bigleaf maple. Pacific madrone,
and bitter cherry are just a few of the
many species that can occur in the
same stands as Oregon white oak.

These other trees can achieve faster
height growth and have greater shade
tolerance than Oregon white oak,
and eventually will dominate the
site. Most conifers and bigleaf maples
must be removed if Oregon white
oak is to survive in the stand. Under
natural disturbance regimes, Oregon
white oak tends to exist in woodlands
and on savannas with few other tree
species. Management plans can allow
exceptions for individual trees retained
to create special wildlife habitats (for example, tall conifers for raptor nesting). However,
these trees will be continuously regenerating and require periodic thinning. You may
choose to manage a mixed species stand, especially if you wish to keep providing income
from harvests, but a generous amount of space must be allocated to allow oak to grow.

A remnant oak tree being lost to conifer succession. Large
Douglas-fir are overtopping it, and young conifer have established
under it and will easily grow up through its crown, shading it and
eventually killing it.

Hugh Snook, BLM

Give Oaks Space to Grow

Once the less desirable species have been removed, you may find that the density of
oaks is too great to promote the growth of large, full-crowned trees. Vigorous oaks are
characterized by full, mushroom-shaped crowns, steady growth of height and stem

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

mammamum

diameter, and have few dead branches. Mature trees
should also produce an abundant crop of acorns at least
every three or four years. Trees should be free of major
cracks or splits in the stem that threaten the structural
integrity of the tree. These are the best candidate trees
for retention and continued management. Lack of height
growth, a narrow "vase-shaped" crown, loose bark, or
numerous shelf fungi along the stem are signs that a tree is
in poor condition. Oaks that have deteriorated slowly over
decades may have lost the capacity to respond with new
growth, even if neighboring trees are thinned. Removing
these trees will create more growing space for healthier
oaks. Even these "take" trees can provide useful functions.
Cutting the tree low to the ground (less than 8 inches)
may initiate sprouting from the root crown and provide a
recruit for the next generation of trees in the stand. Cutting
the tree high off the ground (greater than 10 feet) will
create a valuable snag for wildlife.

Early thinning is essential if oaks are to develop full
crowns and attain the fastest possible growth

Young oaks that grow under crowded conditions develop small, lopsided crowns that
may never achieve their potential, even with a later thinning. Most woodland sites can
support only 20 oaks per acre when the oaks have crowns greater than 40 feet in diameter.
Overlapping tree crowns is a sign of severe
crowding. Select the best formed trees
for retention and remove the rest. Early
thinning is essential if oaks are to develop
full crowns and attain the fastest possible
growth. Early thinning is less expensive and
results in less slash than delaying treatment.

Periodic thinning will be necessary
throughout the life of an oak stand to
reduce tree density as trees increase in
size. Three critical points to remember in
managing oak woodland density are — thin
EARLY, thin WIDE, and thin OFTEN!

Marking the Stand

Even if you have a clear understanding
of a thinning strategy best suited to
your management objectives, the task of

selecting individual trees for removal or retention can become confusing when faced with
the complexity of woodland structure and composition in the field. You can make the job
easier by preparing a marking guide that specifies criteria for "take" and "leave" trees.

The marking guide should identify the number of oaks per acre that will be retained, the
range of their diameters, and desired spacing. The guide should note any other leave trees
besides oaks, and identify out-of-bound areas for the thinning operation. Take the guide
with you when you are ready to mark trees. Forestry suppliers and some hardware stores

These oaks were thinned to allow development of full crowns
favored by wildlife, near Salem, Oregon.

Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

This stand is being thinned to improve
the growth of oaks that will be retained.
Hugh Snook, BLM

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

carry spray paints especially formulated for tree marking. The color really is not important,
but purchase some black paint to paint over the color markings, in case you change your
mind about a particular tree. You can mark either the take trees or leave trees; choose the
method that will require the fewest number of trees to be painted.

Felling and Bucking

The process of cutting a tree stem with a chainsaw and directing its fall is referred to
as felling. It can be an extremely dangerous operation when attempted without proper
training. Felling hazards include: chainsaw kickback, branches falling out of the tree (called
" widow-makers), and tree stems that split with explosive speed while being cut. Poorly
directed felling can also result in damage to other trees in the stand causing a loss to their
value and increasing their susceptibility to disease and pests. Bucking is the process of
cutting the fallen tree into logs of specific lengths for different wood products such as saw
timber, pulpwood, or cordwood. Bucking involves most
Done carelessly, bucking can lead to logs cut to the
wrong length tor their intended market and wasted
wood. Landowners should receive training in chainsaw
safety, felling, and bucking before attempting logging
operations themselves.

Protect Natural Regeneration

The accumulation of acorns, oak seedlings, and
stump sprouts in an existing stand are referred to
as natural regeneration. These young oaks are a
valuable resource on your site. They provide a great
opportunity to expand your existing stand or to
manage as replacements for your mature trees when
they die. Remember--even if seedlings have established
themselves naturally, they will grow to maturity much
faster if you protect them with tree shelters ana weed
barriers (See p. 51).

Oregon white oaks sprout vigorously from cut stumps,
roots, and dying trees. Sprouts can utilize the existing
root system developed by the previous tree and allocate
more growth to the above-ground portions of the tree.

Therefore, oaks that develop from sprouts usually
achieve greater height during the first several years of
development compared to trees started from acorns
or seedlings. Sprouts that originate low to the ground
(less than 8 inches) develop into better stems than sprouts higher on the stump. Eventually,
some sprouts will clearly begin to outgrow others. Remove the slowest growing sprouts
and retain the largest ones. This will ensure that all of the nutrients and water required for
growth are allocated to the best candidate for the new tree stem.

This large Douglas-fir has been girdled with
a chainsaw to provide a snag for wildlife.
Hugh Snook, BLM

Creating Snags

Creating snags from live trees is becoming an increasingly common restoration practice
in forests and woodlands lacking dead trees from natural mortality. Snags can be created
from a live tree by girdling — cutting through the cambium and sapwood layers around
the circumference of a tree stem to interrupt the flow of water and nutrients between the
below- and above-ground portions of the tree. Alternatively, most of the tree crown can be
cut off above the lower tree bole (a job for a professional logger or arborist only!). Leaving
one or two large, living branches on conifers will cause the bole to die slowly, leaving a
longer-lasting snag.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 41

Barry Schreiber is a wildlife biologist with a passion for Oregon white oaks. Several dozen mature oaks stand
near the home he shares with his wife Melissa and his son Harrison near Philomath, Oregon. From a corner
of his property, Barry points out four or five giant legacy trees within a 1000-foot radius of where we stand.

He also notes two more nearby large-diameter oak stumps that are not apparent in the tall grass. These few
living oaks and stumps represent the only trees that were standing in his neighborhood two hundred years
ago — perhaps no more than eight trees per acre. The hundreds of other small oaks and conifers have only
grown up since the cessation of burning by American Indians. What was once an open savanna has now
become dense woodland.

Barry's primary objective is to grow tall ,
large diameter oaks — because "from a wildlife
perspective, large trees are where its at!".

Barry has been actively managing his small woodland for almost
ten years. His primary objective is to grow tall, large diameter
oaks — because as Barry says, “from a wildlife perspective, large
trees are where its at!”. Big oaks can supply the deep cavities that
are so important to squirrels, bats, and other wildlife species. He
also has noticed that large, older trees seem to support a greater
abundance of mistletoe. The fruits of the semi-parasitic plant are a
favorite food of western bluebirds and cedar waxwings.

Barry does all the on-the-ground work himself. His early efforts
focused on cutting down conifers that would readily overtop his
oaks. But in the last few years, Barry has been thinning out the
dense clusters of oaks one tree at a time. At first, it was difficult
for him to put a chainsaw against the stem of one these beautiful
trees. It’s easier now that he’s seen how fast the remaining oaks
respond when tree competition is reduced. Barry says that most of BariT Schreiber and one hls favorite oaks,
his 40-year old oaks can increase their crown diameter by at least

10 feet in three years when neighboring trees are removed. On his property, Barry estimates that he could
remove about 70% of the oaks without any long-term loss of canopy cover or shade. The oaks that remain are
able to grow in height and diameter much faster than if left in tight clumps. Barry selects the trees he wants
to retain based on their health and form. He keeps the straight trees that are likely to be more resistant to
wind and snow damage than trees with forked stems or lop-sided branch structure. He strongly recommends
creating snags on lands where they aren’t naturally abundant. Barry has noticed that snags seem to stand
much longer when one or two living branches are retained on the tree.

Barry’s professional work with other small woodland owners and timber companies causes him to be fairly
optimistic about the future of oak conservation in the region. A growing number of landowners he works with
seem willing to undertake the effort to restore a few acres of savanna or woodland.

42 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

wmmmsmsmmmmmmmmm

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Establishing Oaks

The remainder of the chapter describes methods for planting and protecting oaks
on your land.

Preparing for Planting

As stated earlier, Oregon white oak will achieve the fastest height growth on open
sites where there is little competition from other trees and shrubs. The purpose of site
preparation is to improve the physical and ecological conditions on the site so that the
young oak seedlings and sprouts can develop as quickly as possible. Site preparation
activities are designed to decrease the volume of logging slash, reduce competition from
undesirable plant species, and in some cases, reduce habitat suitability for wildlife that
damage oak seedlings. The plan for your property may require all or only some of these
tasks.

Understory shrubs and turf-forming grasses thrive in open woodlands and on agricultural
lands in the absence of fire. The rapid growth of shrubs and grasses make them a serious
threat to the survival of young oaks. Above ground, shrubs can overtop oak seedlings and
limit the availability of sunlight to the trees. Below ground, shrubs and grass compete
against oaks for water and soil nutrients. Controlling competing vegetation is an essential
step to ensure the fastest possible growth of oak seedlings and saplings. It is important to
recognize that native shrubs are an important component of natural forests and woodlands.
Species such as snowberry, Oregon grape, western serviceberry, and California hazel
provide food, hiding cover, and nesting sites for wildlife and increase biodiversity on the
site. Landowners can accommodate both oaks and shrubs by managing their spacing.
Patches of shrubs can be allowed to develop in areas between oaks, but their growth
underneath oaks should be controlled to avoid competition.

Some Common Invasive Weeds

Many botanists in the Pacific Northwest consider non-native, invasive weeds the most
serious threat to native plant communities. Several dozen species of invasive weeds are
becoming more common in Oregon white oak woodlands and
savannas. Below are brief introductions to three of the most
troublesome weeds found in oak habitats.

Himalayan Blackberry: Leaves are arranged in sets of five or
three leaflets. Canes have large, hooked prickles. Some plants
may remain green throughout the year. Himalayan blackberry
reproduces from seeds, root sprouts, and stem fragments.

The species is native to western Europe, not the Himalayan
mountains. Himalayan blackberry became naturalized on the
West Coast of North America around 1945. Once established,
dense thickets of Himalayan blackberry can exclude native
grasses, wildflowers, and tree seedlings. Control is difficult,
but can be accomplished with successive applications of
herbicides or by removing above- and below-ground portions
of the plant.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

WHHH

■■

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Scotch Broom: Also known as Scots broom, may grow up to 10
ft. in height. Young stems are green with inconspicuous leaves.
Flowers are yellow. Most reproduction occurs by seeds. Scotch
broom was naturalized on the West Coast in the early 1900's.
Unfortunately, broom is used for landscaping purposes. The
Oregon Department of Forestry estimates that Scotch broom
costs the state more than $40,000,000 annually, mostly due to
reduced tree production in Douglas-fir plantations. The species
can be controlled with herbicide treatments or by hand and
mechanical cutting. Sites often need to be treated for many
years because of the abundance and longevity of underground
seeds.

False-Brome

False-Brome: An invasive, perennial Scotch Broom
grass that thrives under a wide

range of ecological conditions, including the shade of a closed
canopy forest. Reproduction seems entirely by seed. False-
brome is most widespread in the woodlands of Lane, Benton,
and Polk Counties of Oregon. Founder populations have been
detected at many other locations in the Pacific Northwest.
Populations of false-brome can invade unoccupied areas very
quickly, excluding native grasses, forbs, and ferns.

Visit the following websites for further details about these three
species and other invasive weeds:

The Nature Conservancy:
http://www.tncweeds.ucdavis.edu
US Department of Interior:
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/

Types of Control

Most landowners establishing a new stand of oaks first have to contend with the live
vegetation already on the site. Three approaches to removing unwanted saplings, brush,
and grass are described below.

Manual and Mechanical Methods

For small areas, manual shrub control methods such as uprooting plants and hand
cutting may be the most suitable treatment. Some shrub species, such as poison oak and
Himalayan blackberry, can re-sprout from roots, underground stems, or cut stumps.
Removing as much of the below-ground system as possible will be most effective at
limiting re-growth. For species with strong, upright stems, such as Scotch broom, a
mechanical lever device known as a "weed wrench" can be used to uproot the plant.

Hand tools such as a pulaski or mattock are particularly useful for cutting and excavating
roots. It is important to remember that the removal of existing shrubs accompanied by soil
disturbance will cause dormant weed seeds to germinate. Therefore, you should expect that
subsequent treatments will be necessary.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Himalyan blackberry and other shrubs in the
process of mechanical removal. The area in the
foreground has been treated.

Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

available for manual brush control. For light
brush, hedge shears or a power trimmer with a
blade head may be adequate. For heavier brush,
the landowner may want to consider a brush
hook, bow saw, or even a chainsaw for thick
stem species such as California hazel and Scotch
broom. The selection of the best implement for
the job will depend upon the height and form
of the shrubs, the size of the treatment area, and
the difficulty of the terrain.

An alternative to digging out the roots
completely is to simply sever the stem
from the underground plant system. This
approach causes less soil disturbance and
usually does not require as much initial
time and labor. As noted previously,
many shrubs are able to sprout from
stumps or roots. However, sprouting can
be minimized by treating the freshly cut
stump with an herbicide. A wide variety
of manual and power cutting tools are

Pulaski

Hoedad

Hand tools commonly used in forestry and
restoration work

Herbicides

Chemical herbicides are very effective for
controlling brush and weeds and should be
considered as one component of a flexible,
integrated vegetation management plan.

One important advantage of herbicides is that they can be applied with much less soil
disturbance than mechanical control methods, and therefore do not stimulate germination
of new weeds from the seedbed. Some herbicides are very selective as to which classes
of plants they will affect. For example, the generic herbicide compound sethoxydim
(e.g., Vantage®) will kill grasses, but not affect woody plants. Equipment can also result in
selective targeting. A "weed wiper" only applies herbicide to the tallest species, such as
brush, leaving grasses untreated. Other herbicides such as glyphosate (e.g., RoundUp®)
suppress almost all plant species. Using chemical treatments near streams and wetlands
demands particular attention as to which herbicide is selected; most chemicals are not
labeled for use near water.

A successful control program not only depends on selecting the correct herbicide formula
for target species on your property, but also on the timing and method of application. Many
forestry herbicides are designed to be most effective at specific phases in a plant's growth
cycle. For example, invasive Himalayan blackberry is often controlled with a foliar spray

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats 45

applied in early fall, when most of the water and energy reserves in the above-ground parts
of the plant are being drawn underground. The herbicide is also transported downward,
ensuring its maximum distribution throughout roots and underground stems. Selecting the
best method of application is also critical to success. Some herbicides used to control brush
are toxic to oaks, but may be used safely if care is taken to prevent contact with desirable
plants. The most common methods of herbicide application used in restoration and general
forestry work are:

• Spot Spray— Spot spraying is a foliar application method in which small areas or
individual plants are targeted. Good quality backpack sprayers allow the applicator to
finely calibrate the spray pattern, making it possible to treat areas in close proximity to
oaks and other non-target species without injuring them.

• Broadcast Spray— Reserved for large-scale applications in which the objective is to
eliminate all existing vegetation on the site prior to tree planting. Boom sprayers towed
behind a tractor are a common means to treat large areas.

• Injected or Frilled Treatment— This approach utilizes a hatchet-like injector that
automatically squirts a measured amount of herbicide into the cut as the stem is struck.
The treatment is typically used on large-stemmed shrubs and undesirable tree species.

• Cut Surface Treatment — Also called "stump treatment." An herbicide is applied to the
freshly cut surface of a stump after the above-ground portions are removed to prevent
the plant from re-sprouting.

• Basal Treatment— A concentrated formula containing herbicide and oil is wiped on the
lower stem of a woody plant. The formula is able to penetrate through the bark to the
vascular system and is transported throughout the plant.

The information presented above is meant only
as an introduction to herbicide control methods.

Always follow the appropriate uses, application
methods, and rates specified on the label of
the herbicide. We recommend that landowners
review educational materials on herbicide
treatments available from local extension service
staff, or consult with a restoration specialist
before implementing your control program.

Prescribed Fire

Prior to European settlement, oaks were only
able to persist in the valleys and foothills of
the Pacific Northwest because of American
Indian burning practices and natural wildfire. Almost all of the site preparation treatments
considered above are designed to mimic the effect of fire on competing vegetation in
an oak woodland or savanna. Prescribed fire, which is used for a specific management
objective under a narrowly defined set of environmental conditions to minimize wildfire
risk, remains a useful technique for removing brush and reducing the volume of logging
slash. There are two general approaches to preparing a site with prescribed fire. The first

Prescribed burning is an important tool for managing
understory vegetation on savannas.

Dave Peter, USFS

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

is broadcast burning— setting fire to grass and brush on the site. In small woodland and
savanna settings, hand-carried drip torches are typically used to apply fire widely across
the site preparation area. However, the consequences of an out-of-control fire can be so
severe that private landowners should not consider the use of broadcast burning without
professional supervision and a trained forestry crew at the site. The second approach
is to cut the brush and move it away from trees and ground fuels where it can be piled
and burned safely. The use of fire for restoration and forestry purposes is regulated by
local fire ordinances and under state forest practice rules. Landowners should consult
their local extension forester or staff at state agencies that regulate private forestry before
implementing a prescribed burn.

Managing Slash

The site preparation activities described above typically result in slash — accumulations
of dead wood left after small trees are cut. The amount and distribution of slash on a site
has important effects on wildfire risk, tree planting conditions, and wildlife habitat. A
continuous layer of slash, particularly dead shrubs and fine branches, can be a wildfire
hazard, increasing the spread and intensity of a fire should one occur. Large amounts of
decaying wood can also alter soil conditions, causing changes in the understory plant
community. Too much slash can also reduce the availability of tree planting sites and shade
out oak seedlings. However, on hot, dry sites the additional shade may actually benefit
seedlings by reducing their transpiration rate and allowing them to conserve water. Under
some circumstances, slash may inhibit the movement of deer throughout the site and
reduce their browsing of planted seedlings. Downed logs are an important habitat element
for many species of amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals. Large-diameter logs and
snags tend to be rare on most sites and can usually be retained without greatly reducing
the number of tree planting sites.

There are five commonly used methods to utilize or reduce slash:

1. Firewood — Much of the larger material can be used to supply firewood for your home
or sold to others.

2. Mulch— Using a mechanical chipper, slash can be reduced into a mulch that can be
used to protect oak seedlings or for home landscaping.

3. Lop and Scatter— As the name implies, branches are lopped off trees, their stems are cut
into short pieces, and the material is spread out to increase contact between the dead
wood and soil. This will speed decomposition of the slash.

4. Piled — Slash can be piled and left to decay if the accumulation is not too deep. Widely
spaced piles and large diameter logs left for wildlife do not present as great a fire
hazard as a layer of dead vegetation spread evenly through the stand. Slash piles
provide habitat to a variety of birds such as song sparrows, spotted towhees, and winter
wrens.

5. Pile and Bum— The material can be gathered into piles located in open areas and
burned. Slash should be piled soon after it is cut, then covered (plastic sheets are
commonly used) to protect it from rain. Slash piles typically are burned in western
Oregon and Washington at the beginning of fall rains. At this time, the piles will
be relatively dry while the surrounding vegetation will be damp, minimizing the

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

mmmmm

chance that the fire will spread beyond the pile. It is strongly recommended that
private landowners consult their local fire department or a consulting forester when
contemplating any use of fire for site preparation. Several other crucial points to
remember before burning brush piles:

• Check with your local fire department and state forestry agency for regulations that
affect when and where you can conduct open burning. State and local governments
usually prohibit such fires during the summer.

• Ensure that there is an effective firebreak between burn piles and other fuels that
could transport fire away from the safe burning area.

• Have fire tools ready on site and an adequate supply of water to completely
extinguish the fire.

• Do not leave brush piles burning unattended.

• It is illegal to burn the plastic cover sheets with the slash pile.

Seedling Spacing

While an acre of land may only support 20 to 40 fully mature oaks, perhaps one tree in 500
will survive to this stage (and it will take decades). It's probably best to plant some extra
acorns or seedlings — you can always thin the stand if it becomes overly dense. Spacing
and distribution of seedlings will be based on the objectives you've defined in your
management plan, but a couple of strategies may be applied. One strategy for spacing the
planting sites is to distribute them relatively uniformly across the area to be reforested.

For example, if you have an area of 2 acres and have gathered 400 acorns for planting,
the approximate spacing would be 15 feet between planting holes (one acre = 43,560 ft2;

200 acorns per acre = 43,560/200 = 218 ft2 per planting site; take the square root of 218 for
a spacing of 14.8 feet). An alternative spacing strategy would be to allocate most of your
acorns to the best planting sites (full sun, deep soil, not excessively droughty) and plant
two or three acorn per hole.

Direct Seeding

The direct seeding of acorns is appealing for its simplicity and low cost. Ripe acorns can be
collected from early September to November from the ground or by tapping clusters in the
tree with a long pole and catching the falling seeds with a tarp. A visual inspection should
be made of each acorn, small acorns, and those with cracks or holes be discarded. Acorns
that have been damaged by insects or fungus may not show any external injuries but will
tend to float when put in water; healthy acorns will sink.

Direct seeding of Oregon white oak acorns should be done in the
fall soon after the start of the rainy season when the
upper layer of soil has been moistened

Acorns from Oregon white oak, like other white oaks, lose their viability quickly after
falling from the tree. In addition, the germination rate is greatly reduced with drying.
These facts, coupled with the capability of birds and rodents to collect acorns for
themselves means that timely collection and storage of planting material is essential.
Prepare the acorn for storage by removing its cap. Acorns can be kept in plastic bag with a

48 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

few holes to allow for gas exchange. They can be stored in a refrigerator at a temperature
between 33-41° F. It may be beneficial to rehydrate acorns by soaking them in water for 48
hours prior to planting.

Direct seeding of Oregon white oak acorns should be done in the fall soon after the start of
the rainy season when the upper layer of soil has been moistened. Several specialty tools
are available, such as the Boatwright acorn planter (see list of suppliers in Resources for
Landowners). Depending on soil texture, a long-handled wood stick or steel rod pushed into
the ground may work as well. Plant acorns Vi to 2 inches deep if irrigation will be available
for the first two summers. Plant deeper (2 to 4 in) if predation by wildlife is expected to
be a problem or irrigation will not be used. Wildlife can also be prevented from digging
up acorns by placing a square of hardware cloth over the planting site and securing it the
ground with landscape staples. These can be replaced by wire cages once the germinant
appears above ground.

To ensure good survival and growth, seedlings should be planted in an
opening large enough to permit sunlight to reach the ground

Oak seedlings and saplings grow very slowly in the shade of an existing tree canopy. To
ensure good survival and growth, seedlings should be planted in an opening large enough
to permit sunlight to reach the ground. On a level site, a circular opening with a radius of
85 ft (approximately 0.5 ac) will allow approximately one-third of full sunlight to penetrate
the canopy. This is adequate for the development of young oaks. North and east-facing
slopes require larger openings; openings on south or west-facing slopes can be smaller.

An oak seedling well protected with a wire exclosure to
prevent deer from browsing.

Warren Devine, USD A Forest Service

Container Seedlings

Because of the increasing popularity of Oregon white oaks, containerized seedlings are
becoming more widely available from local nurseries (see Resources for Landowners) There
are three primary advantages of seedlings: (1) There is no uncertainty whether an acorn
will germinate; (2) Seedlings may have
attained up to a year of growth under

Three year old oak
seedling protected with
net tubing. A large piece
of weed barrier cloth is
anchored in place with
wood.

Hugh Snook, BLM

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

optimal nursery conditions, and will have a good head start when planted at the site; and
(3) Wildlife predation and insect damage are less likely with seedlings compared to acorns.
Oregon white oak seedlings produce a fast-growing taproot that will coil if kept in nursery
containers for much more than a year (coiled roots should be straightened or cut shorter at
the time of planting.) Oaks should be grown in a tall, narrow pot designed for species with
deep taproots (e.g. 2 gallon Treepot®). Seedlings also are occasionally available as bare
rootstock.

Seedlings should be planted in the fall. This allows as much time as possible for root
development before drought conditions the following summer. A clamshell-type posthole
digger works well if only a small number of seedlings are to be planted. A specialized tool
called a hoedad can also be used to dig planting holes. You may want to consider powered
augers (one-person, two-person or tractor mounted) for large projects. If the soil is rocky,
discard stones removed from planting holes and replace with some extra fine-textured soil.
The hole should be back-filled so that the root crown is level with the ground. Care should
be taken so that the taproot is directed straight down, and that all voids in the soil are filled
by firmly tamping soil with the foot. Jamming the root so deeply into the hole that the end
turns upward (called "J-rooting") greatly decreases the seedling's chance of survival.

Care and Protection of Seedlings

Wind, extreme temperatures, and wildlife damage can affect the survival and growth of
young oaks. After planting, a variety of protection measures can help seedling survival and
rapid development.

Controlling Grass

Dense grass and weeds can severely limit the growth and survival of oak seedlings by
competing for water and creating hiding cover for herbivores such as gray-tailed voles. The
purpose of mulch and weed barriers is to conserve water around the seedling by slowing
evaporation and creating a barrier to competing plants. Weed barrier cloth is widely
available in rolls at gardening stores and landscape suppliers. Cut the cloth into 36-in or
48-in squares, with a slit in the center to fit around the
seedling. The cloth can be anchored to the ground with
landscape staples, a piece of heavy gauge wire bent into
a U-shape, or rocks found on site. Wood chips also can
be used as attractive mulch in yards and park settings.

However, their weight and the extra time it takes to
apply them around the seedling often make them
impractical in large restoration areas. Wood chips also
absorb some precipitation, decreasing water availability
for seedlings. So, some supplemental watering may be

necessary. Carefully used herbicides can be an option to Seedheads of blue wiidrye ( Elymus

stop water competition from moss. glaucus), a grass commonly associated

r r with oak savanna. Grasses compete for

moisture with tree seedlings and efforts
to control grass immediately around
seedlings will increase their growth.
Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

wtmmmmmmmmmmmmammmmmmmmmmmmmmmtmmmm

Irrigation

Oregon white oak seedlings are tolerant of typical summer drought conditions in the
Pacific Northwest. Nevertheless, seedlings will have greater survival and faster growth
if supplemental water can be provided monthly, during dry periods, for the first two
summers. The feasibility of irrigation depends upon the number of seedlings, availability
of water, difficulty of terrain, and the amount of time the landowner can devote to the
task. The ground should be thoroughly soaked around seedlings (3-5 gallons per plant) to
encourage deep rooting.

Tree shelters

Tree shelters serve three purposes. They provide
structural support that keeps the tree upright in windy
conditions or when hit by small branches falling from
the woodland canopy. Shelters protect seedlings from
wildlife browsing. Deer, elk, and even mice and voles
can cause severe mortality among newly planted
oak seedlings. Finally, shelters also create a "mini¬
greenhouse" and increase air moisture and temperature
around the seedling, slightly elevate carbon dioxide
levels, and improve rates of photosynthesis. Tree shelters
can be purchased in two basic forms: a double-walled
cylinder, or plastic sheets that are rolled into a tube on¬
site. Double-walled shelters are more expensive but
are sturdier, more easily installed, and can be pressed
slightly into the ground to create a tighter seal at the
soil (particularly important if voles are a problem).

Inexpensive, home-made deer exclosures can be made
from hardware cloth or chicken wire fencing rolled into
a tube. Whatever type of shelter you use, make sure it is
firmly anchored with one or two stakes constructed of
fiberglass, wood, iron rebar or similar material sunk at
least 6" into the ground. Bamboo may be used but often weakens after one season and may
not withstand high winds.

Controlling Wildlife Damage

Numerous wildlife species feed upon planted acorns and oak seedlings. Douglas squirrels,
western gray squirrels, and chipmunks will dig up and carry away acorns. Various species
of voles will eat buds and the cambium layer of seedlings. Deer will browse on foliage,
twigs and buds. It's neither practical nor desirable to eliminate all herbivores from the area.
The success of your project will depend upon protecting most acorns and young oaks from
wildlife damage. Landowners can increase the odds in their favor by adopting a threefold
strategy. First, assume that many acorns and seedlings will be lost to animals and plant
more than needed to meet your reforestation goals. Second, reduce the habitat suitability
of your site for wildlife that damage oak seedlings. Decreasing the density of shrubs near
planting sites will reduce food availability for herbivores, causing them to move elsewhere.

Tree shelters and weed-barriers improve
seedling survival and increase their
growth rate.

Warren Devine, USDA Forest Service.

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

Removing most shrubs will also eliminate their hiding cover and expose them to natural
predators. Finally, install tree shelters around seedlings to prevent voles from damaging
stems and buds. Another option that will prevent deer browse is spraying of repellants.
These require 2-3 appplications per season, but eliminate the need to maintain shelters.
These actions will usually limit wildlife problems without the need for more drastic
eradication programs.

W.L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge Oak Habitat Restoration

The National Wildlife Refuges administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are among the
largest publicly-owned habitat conservation areas within the Willamette Valley and Puget Lowlands.
The W.L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge in Benton County, Oregon began an oak habitat restoration
in 2003. The two photos below show the restoration in-progress.

The photo on the right was taken
after a preparation mowing by
refuge staff. Grass and light brush
was treated using a John Deere 6400
tractor and 15' batwing mower. Small
trees and heavy brush were cut with
a Bobcat T-200 loader running a 5'
brush hog mower.

Larger woody vegetation was then
removed by a contractor using an
excavator equipped with a slash-
busting head. Follow up treatment
has included herbicide application
to control invasive blackberry and
hardwood re-sprouting.

52 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

MONITORING AND- ADAPT WE MANAGEMENT

Restoring and managing an oak woodland or savanna is a commitment likely to span
across generations. Documenting your management actions and monitoring their effects
on trees, other vegetation, and wildlife is crucial to achieving your long-term goals.

The management plan is the first step toward describing your vision of the future for
your property. However, landowners must recognize that native plant communities are
complex and dynamic ecosystems that do not always develop according to our predictions.
Furthermore, the ecology and silvicultural aspects of Oregon white oak are not as well
understood as Douglas-fir and other commercially valuable species. Monitoring the growth
and health of your oaks is an essential step to understanding which management actions
work and which do not.

Blossoms of elegant tarweed ( Madia elegans),
are the showiest in the genus, and are
commonly associated with oak savanna.
Seeds from the tarweed were an important
food for the Kalapuya and other Tribes. The
relative abundance of vegetation species
can be monitored simply through the use of
photography if it is repeated consistently.
Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings

Adaptive management refers to a continuing process of natural resource planning,
management actions, monitoring, evaluation, and adjustments in order to better achieve
management goals. The concept reflects the need to actively manage resources such as
oaks, in spite of the uncertainty as to how to achieve all objectives.

Evaluate

Implement

Monitor

The Adaptive Management Process

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

■■

Through adaptive management, uncertainty is gradually resolved as on-the-ground actions
are implemented, their effects on habitats and wildlife are monitored and assessed, and
work plans are adjusted accordingly. Monitoring activities should be designed to measure
progress toward your restoration goals. If a goal is important enough for you to invest
your time, land, and money, then it seems prudent to take steps to assess whether your
management actions are leading toward the desired future condition for your property.

A monitoring program is most sensitive to detecting changes in trees or stand conditions if
repeated observations and measurements are taken at the same location. Plots established
for the initial site assessment (see Appendix I) can serve as locations for remeasurements
if you established a permanent marker at the plot center. A few representative trees in
each plot can be identified with numbered tags for the purpose of repeated height and
diameter measurements. Repeating all of the observations and measurements you took
during your initial assessment at a five-year interval
will provide the basis for an excellent monitoring and
adaptive management program. You may also consider
participating in the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest

Research Station's acorn survey (http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/
olympia/silv/oak-studies/acom_survey/index.shtml).

Photographs taken every five years are perhaps one
of the easiest ways to record vegetation changes over
time. Each photo in the series should be taken from
exactly the same point (establish a permanent marker!)
and precisely framed to encompass the same area of
the stand. Including a vertical, brightly-painted pole
of a known length within the frame allows viewers to
estimate heights of ground vegetation layers. Make sure
that you take each photo at the same time each year so
that the series shows long-term vegetation trends, not seasonal changes in foliage. Keep
good notes about your photo sessions.

Monitoring wildlife populations on restoration sites is rarely implemented, but is really
the only valid method to evaluate whether habitat management actions actually increase
the probability that target wildlife species use the site or achieve greater abundance. We
encourage you to make some effort to monitor wildlife as part of your oak management
plan. Birds are relatively easy to observe (compared to most other species) and can be
reasonably good indicators of changing conditions in a woodland or savanna. Even if
you can't identify every warbler and sparrow by song, making lists of birds that you do
recognize will yield useful information. Wildlife observations repeatedly made at the
same location (such as a permanent measurement plot) and same time of year will be very
informative.

54 Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

RESOURCES FOR LANDOWNERS

The following table is provided as a guide to useful on-line resources for small
landowners managing or restoring Oregon white oak habitats.

Name

Contact information

Notes

Native Plant
Suppliers

PlantNative.com

http://www.plantnative.com/index.htm

National directory of
native plant sources
and information

D.L. Phipps

State Forest
Nursery(Oregon

Dept, of Forestry)

http://www.odf.state.or.us/AREAS/

southem/nursery/

Source of Oregon
native tree seedlings

Pacific Northwest
Native Plant Sources

http://www.tardigrade.org/natives/

nurseries.html

Washington Native
Plant Society

http://www.wnps.org/nurserylist.html

List of suppliers in
Washington

Native Seed Network

http://www.nativeseednetwork.org/
home/index. php

List of native plant
suppliers

Wildland Fire Safety

Fire wise

http://www.firewise.org/

Washington Dept, of
Natural Resources

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/htdocs/rp/

prevent.htm

Oregon Dept, of
Forestry

http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/
protection/fire protection/

British Columbia
Ministry of Forests

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/protect/

Forestry Equipment
& Supplies

Forestry Suppliers

Inc.

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/

Ben Meadows Inc.

http://www.benmeadows.com/

Farm & Woodland
Technical Assistance

Natural Resource
Conservation Service
& Farm Service

Agency

See http://www.nrcs.usda.gov for local
offices

Technical assistance
for habitat
management

National Association
of Conservation
Districts

See http://www.nacdnet.org/resources/
cdsonweb.html

for local district
offices

PrivateForest.org

http://www.privateforest.org/

Website containing
links to many
information sources

Oregon State
University Forestry
Extension Program

http://www.cof.orst.edu/cof/extended/

extserv/pubs.php

Oregon Dept, of
Forestry stewardship
foresters

http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/

management/forestry_assistance/assist/

Provide technical
assistance for
developing woodland
stewardship
programs

Washington Forest
Stewardship Program

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/htdocs/rp/

steward.htm

List of technical
assistance and
funding programs

Landowner's Guide to Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats

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