Relationships of Hydrological and Soil Conditions to Red Oak Acorn Yield in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and Mississippi Interior Flatwoods Regions
Author: Jonathan E. Sloan
Publisher:
Published: 2013
Total Pages: 45
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKRed oak (Quercus spp.) acorns provide food for wildlife and are propagules for regeneration of these trees. Annual yield of acorns varies temporally and site-specifically. I examined acorn yield in relation to hydrology and soils of hardwood bottomlands at five sites in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and a site in the Mississippi Interior Flatwoods Region during fall-winter 2012-2013. Acorn yield varied among sites (mean = 44.9 acorns/m2; SE = 6.7; CV = 14.9%). Duration of flooding during the growing season differed among sites which influenced soil characteristics. Acorn yield varied inversely with number of days sites were inundated during the growing season (R2 = 0.6725; P = 0.0456; n = 6) during 2012-2013. Managers should consider alleviating growing season flooding of red oaks, which may increase acorn yield and sustain red oaks and other bottomland hardwoods.