Life History and Disturbance Response of Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Family: Fagaceae
Guild: persistent, large-seeded, advance growth dependent
Functional Lifeform: medium-size deciduous tree
Ecological Role: common on dry, infertile soils on upland sites; grows in mixtures with upland oaks and dry-mesic hardwoods
Lifespan, yrs (typical/max): 300/400
Shade Tolerance: intermediate
Height, m: 20-24
Canopy Tree: yes
Pollination Agent: wind
Seeding, yrs (begins/optimal/declines): 20/75/200
Mast Frequency, yrs: 4-5
New Cohorts Source: seeds or sprouts
Flowering Dates: late spring
Flowers/Cones Damaged by Frost: Information Not Found
Seedfall Begins: early fall
Seed Banking: up to 1 yr
Cold Stratification Required: no
Seed Type/Dispersal Distance/Agent: nut (acorn)/ to 50 m/ gravity, birds, other animals
Season of Germination: fall
Seedling Rooting System: taproot
Sprouting: seedling and stump sprouts common
Establishment Seedbed Preferences:
Substrate: variable
Light: overstory shade
Moisture: neutral
Temperature: neutral
Disturbance response:
Fire: Chestnut oak is well-adapted to periodic fire. It is moderately fire-resistant, surviving the low- moderate- intensity, short-duration surface fires typical of upland oak forests. Periodic fires promote upland oak dominance by opening the canopy and reducing competition. Fires primarily occur during the dormant season at intervals of years to decades. It has thick but furrowed bark and deep roots; resistance increases with tree size. It is susceptible to damage from fire in the bark furrows, but resistant to decay. When topkilled, seedlings and saplings readily and persistently sprout from adventitious buds on the root crown, root suckers, or from the stump. Fire favors chestnut oak acorn germination by removing the litter layer, but acorns present during the fire are usually killed. Seedling establishment may occur from seeds of surviving trees onsite or from offsite seeds carried by birds and other animals. Fire may increase the growth rate of chestnut oak. Where pine regeneration is desired, prescribed burning has been used to control oaks, most successfully where the stand is burned the summer following springtime harvest.
Air pollution: Chestnut oak is tolerant to ozone and sulphur dioxide.
Exotics: Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is a defoliator of eastern hardwood forests, introduced to Massachusetts from France in 1885. It has spread throughout New England into Virginia and Michigan. Defoliation causes growth loss, decline, and mortality. It feeds on many tree species, but Quercus and Populus are the most susceptible taxa, and trees growing on xeric sites are the most vulnerable. Various efforts have been made to control it, with mixed results. A fungus, Entomophaga maimaiga introduced from Japan causes considerable mortality to gypsy moth populations. E. maimaiga levels are promoted by damp weather.