Life History and Disturbance Response of Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Family: Juglandaceae
Guild: persistent, large-seeded, advance growth dependent
Functional Lifeform: medium-size deciduous tree
Ecological Role: grows on a range of sites from dry-mesic uplands to mesic coves and bottomlands; seedlings and saplings persist for many years in the understory and respond well to release
Lifespan, yrs (typical/max): 250/300
Shade Tolerance: tolerant
Height, m: 18-24
Canopy Tree: yes
Pollination Agent: wind
Seeding, yrs (begins/optimal/declines): 40/60/200
Mast Frequency, yrs: 1-3
New Cohorts Source: seeds or sprouts
Flowering Dates: late spring
Flowers/Cones Damaged by Frost: yes
Seedfall Begins: early fall
Seed Banking: up to 1 yr
Cold Stratification Required: yes
Seed Type/Dispersal Distance/Agent: nut/ to 50 m/ gravity, other animals
Season of Germination: spring
Seedling Rooting System: taproot
Sprouting: stump sprouts and root suckers common
Establishment Seedbed Preferences:
Substrate: variable, litter covered
Light: overstory shade
Moisture: moist required
Temperature: neutral
Disturbance response:
Fire: Shagbark hickory is broadly distributed and grows on a range of site types. Fires are less common on mesic sites and usually occur during prolonged droughts. On drier sites, fires tend to be low- to moderate-intensity surface fires, occurring in the dormant season. When fires occur at short intervals Quercus species have a competitive advantage over Carya. Fire intervals of several decades promote hickory. A thin-barked species, shagbark hickories are susceptible to topkilling. Seedlings and saplings under 10 cm d.b.h. are particularly sensitive but larger, thicker-barked trees are more resistant. When topkilled, shagbark hickory sprouts from the root crown, stump, or root suckers. Hickories are susceptible to rot where the stem has been wounded. Seedling establishment may occur from surviving trees onsite or from offsite seeds carried by wind, water, birds, and other animals. Released hickory trees may develop a large crown and abundant nut crops, an important food source for wildlife.
Weather: Shagbark hickories are windfirm.