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Cover image of Oak Forest Ecosystems
Cover image of Oak Forest Ecosystems
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Oak Forest Ecosystems

Ecology and Management for Wildlife

edited by William J. McShea and William M. Healy

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Oak Forest Ecosystems focuses on the relationship between an oak forest's acorn yield and species of wildlife that depend on it. It begins by treating factors such as oak distribution, forest fires, tree diseases and pests, dynamics of acorn production, and acorn dispersal by birds and mammals. Special consideration is given to the phenomenon of masting—whereby oaks in a given area will produce huge crops of acorns at irregular intervals—a key component for wildlife researchers and managers in understanding patterns of scarcity and abundance in the creatures that feed on this crop...

Oak Forest Ecosystems focuses on the relationship between an oak forest's acorn yield and species of wildlife that depend on it. It begins by treating factors such as oak distribution, forest fires, tree diseases and pests, dynamics of acorn production, and acorn dispersal by birds and mammals. Special consideration is given to the phenomenon of masting—whereby oaks in a given area will produce huge crops of acorns at irregular intervals—a key component for wildlife researchers and managers in understanding patterns of scarcity and abundance in the creatures that feed on this crop. Relationships between oaks and animals such as mice, squirrels, turkeys, deer, and bear are discussed, as are the differences between eastern, southern Appalachian, southwestern, and California oak forests.

Contributors: Marc D. Abrams, Pennsylvania State University • Patrick H. Brose, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • John P. Buonaccorsi, University of Massachusetts • Daniel Dey, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Joseph S. Elkinton, University of Massachusetts • George A. Feldhamer, Southern Illinois University • Peter F. Folliott, University of Arizona • Lee E. Frelich, University of Minnesota • Cathryn H. Greenberg, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • William M. Healy, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Roy L. Kirkpatrick, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Johannes M. H. Knops, University of Nebraska • Walter D. Koenig, University of California • Nelson W. Lafon, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • Andrew M. Liebhold, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • William J. McShea, National Zoological Park Conservation and Research Center • William H. McWilliams, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Gary W. Norman, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • Steven W. Oak, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Renee A. O'Brien, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Richard S. Ostfeld, Institute of Ecosystem Studies • Bernard R. Parresol, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Peter J. Perkins, University of New Hampshire • Gordon C. Reese, Colorado State University • Peter B. Reich, University of Minnesota • Peter D. Smallwood, University of Richmond • Christopher C. Smith, Kansas State University • Richard B. Standiford, University of California–Berkeley • Martin A. Stapanian, Ohio Cooperative Wildlife Unit • Michael A. Steele, Wilkes University • David Steffen, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • David H. Van Lear, Clemson University • Michael R. Vaughan, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Karen L. Waddell, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service

Reviews

Reviews

The information is a good starting point for managers and landowners who want to have a better understanding of their forests.

An essential reference for forest wildlife biologists, conservationists, land stewards, and researchers who want to know about North American oak forests, their ecology, management, and importance to wildlife. This volume presents the state of science on the topic; it is comprehensive, carefully organized, and highly readable.

About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
448
ISBN
9780801877476
Illustration Description
30 line drawings
Table of Contents

Contributors
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 Oaks and Acorns as a Foundation for Ecosystem Management
Part I. Patterns and Processes of Oak Forests
Chapter 2. Distribution and Abundance of Oaks in North America

Contributors
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 Oaks and Acorns as a Foundation for Ecosystem Management
Part I. Patterns and Processes of Oak Forests
Chapter 2. Distribution and Abundance of Oaks in North America
Chapter 3. The Postglacial History of Oak Forests in Eastern North America
Chapter 4. Fire History and Postsettlement Disturbance
Chapter 5. The Ecological Basis for Oak Silviculture in Eastern North America
Chapter 6. Native Diseases and Insects That Impact Oaks
Chapter 7. Gypsy Moths and Forest Dynamics
Chapter 8. Dynamics of Old-Growth Oak Forests in the Eastern United States
Part II. Ecology and Patterns of Acorns
Chapter 9. The Behavioral Ecology of Masting in Oaks
Chapter 10. Dynamics of Acorn Production by Five Species of Southern Appalachian Oaks
Chapter 11. Nutritional Value of Acorns for Wildlife
Chapter 12. Acorn Dispersal by Birds and Mammals
Chapter 13. Ecological Webs Involving Acorns and Mice: Basic Research and Its Management Implications
Chapter 14. Acorns and White-Talied Deer: Interrelationships in Forest Ecosystems
Chapter 15. Oak Trees, Acorns, and Bears
Chapter 16. Turkeys, Acorns, and Oaks
Chapter 17. Squirrels and Oaks
Part III. Management of Oaks for Wildlife
Chapter 18. Fire and Oak Management
Chapter 19. California's Oak Woodlands
Chapter 20. Ecology and Management of Evergreen Oak Woodlands in Arizona and New Mexico
Chapter 21. Managing Eastern Oak Forests for Wildlife
Chapter 22. Goals and Guidelines for Managing Oak Ecosystems for Wildlife
References
Index

Author Bios
Featured Contributor

William J. McShea

William J. McShea is a research scientist in the Conservation and Research Center at the Smithsonian Institution.
Featured Contributor

William M. Healy

William M. Healy is a research wildlife biologist at the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station of the USDA Forest Service.