Special Issue from presentations at the 2024 International Oak Symposium
| Authors: | Cornelia Wilson, Stacy Allison Byrd, Steve Brewer, Peter Spathelf |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124151 |
| Source: | Forest Ecology and Management |
Abstract
Oak (Quercus) trees and forests have provided a myriad of utilitarian and ecosystem services for millennia. Oaks are considered a foundational species in many regions of the world but are increasingly threatened as global climate change and anthropogenic pressures alter disturbance regimes and successional dynamics. Gaps in critical knowledge for oak ecology and management are impeding sustainability and restoration at small and large scales. This special issue was borne from attendees who attended a recent symposium, the International Oak Symposium that was held in Knoxville, Tennessee USA in October 2024 and is supported by the Ecology and Silviculture of Oak Working Party (Unit 1.01.06) within the Silviculture Division of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).
This special issue comprises 25 observational, experimental and simulation studies evaluating various aspects of oak species dynamics and management. Fourteen papers focus on the eastern United States (U. S.) and nine on Europe, with one study centered on a western North American oak species and another based in Chile. Collectively, these contributions illustrate the challenges to sustaining oak ecosystems, underscore concerns that environmental changes will intensify these pressures, and present results from experiments trialing management strategies. Across these papers, several dominant themes emerged: oak regeneration and recruitment challenges, oak management practices, artificial regeneration of oak, and climate adaptation and mitigation of oak species or forests. The sections below summarize the studies within each theme.