Editorial: Advances in oak ecology and silviculture: challenges and innovations
| Authors: | Constança Camilo-Alves, Daniel C. Dey, Toshiaki Owari |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2026.1924283 |
| Source: | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
Abstract
The oak genus (Quercus), originating approximately 56 million years ago in the temperate Americas, has diversified across the Northern Hemisphere. Oaks are integral components of various ecosystems, including temperate deciduous forests, temperate and subtropical evergreen forests, subtropical and tropical savannahs, oak-pine forests, oak-“piñon”-juniper woodlands, cloud forests, tropical premontane and montane forests, matorral (summer rain chaparral), and Mediterranean vegetation. While many species of Quercus are exceptionally large, dominant overstory trees, others exhibit a wide range of life forms, from small trees to stoloniferous shrubs, such as Q. lusitanica. Additionally, some oak species adopt a shrub-like growth form when subjected to adverse edaphoclimatic conditions. This ecological diversity allows oaks to serve as either climax or intermediate species, making their management highly variable and context dependent.