Oak Stewardship
In general, a healthy oak habitat will contain large, old oak trees that receive plenty of sunlight, an understory of native shrubs and plants, and habitat variability, characterized by variably spaced trees of different ages and shapes, shrub and grass patches of varying sizes and spacings, with snags and downed logs.
Wet prairie. Credit: Greg Shine, BLM Oregon
Oak stewardship guidelines by topic
Below you will find desired conditions representing a characteristic of a healthy, functioning oak ecosystem from the “Restoring Oak Habitats in Southern Oregon and North California: A Guide for Private Landowners” developed by the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network in collaboration with the Umpqua Oak Partnership. They also present guidelines to help you achieve each desired condition, and these guidelines can be applied to oak savanna, oak chaparral, oak woodland, and mixed oak-conifer habitats.
Investing now in oak and prairie systems and species is critical
We believe that resilient ecosystems are essential to vibrant communities. Oak and prairie systems are icons of the Pacific Northwest landscape and are intrinsic to where and how people live, farm, and recreate. These habitats are rich in biological diversity and are a unique and vital ecosystem, but they are also slow-growing and under threat. Conserving them now is critical.