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You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Shrub > Species: Quercus dumosa | Nuttall's Scrub Oak
 

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BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

SPECIES: Quercus dumosa | Nuttall's Scrub Oak
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : Nuttall's scrub oak is a native evergreen shrub from 3.2 to 9.6 feet (1-3 m) in height. The sclerophyllous leaves are spiny to toothed. Acorns are small (8-15 mm wide by 5-8 mm deep) [23]. The root system has been described as deep and extensive [13]. RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : phanerophyte REGENERATION PROCESSES : Seed: Acorns mature within a single season [50]. Acorn crops are generally light, although larger crops are produced at irregular intervals [27,69]. Production appears to vary by the individual tree. Some plants consistently bear large numbers of acorns, while others rarely produce acorns [50]. Seed dispersal: Acorns are readily dispersed in the fall by gravity or animals [27,28]. Squirrels and jays are particularly effective dispersal agents for many California oaks [1]. Mature Nuttall's scrub oak acorns rarely remain on the ground for long [50]. Many are eaten immediately, but small mammals and birds frequently cache acorns for winter use [73,74]. Germination and viability: The acorns germinate readily without scarification or other special treatment [27]. They occasionally begin germinating prior to dispersal from the parent plant [28]. Germination generally begins within 1 month after dispersal although it may be delayed on xeric sites [35]. Some studies have related germination of Nuttall's scrub oak to time of seed harvest and exposure to certain charrates [28,35,49,52]. Acorns are susceptible to heat and are generally killed by fire even when protected by overlying soil or litter. A longer period of exposure to lower temperatures is more damaging than short bursts of higher temperatures [28]. Acorns are also vulnerable to mold and rot [35]. Mortality of planted acorns ranged from 4 to 42 percent in laboratory tests [23]. Results of germination tests are as follows [43]: cold stratification temperature F duration germination (in days) day night (days) capacity (%) 30 to 90 86 68 28 80 to 90 Acorns which have been harvested 1 1/2 to 2 months prior to maturity exhibit good germination if the tip of the pericarp is removed before seeds are planted [11,49,52]. Germination by harvest date was reported as follows [49]: percent germination by harvest date - 8/17 8/31 9/14 9/28 10/12 intact acorns 15 4 0 20 90 tips removed 50 89 86 100 95 Acorns of Nuttall's scrub oak are relatively short-lived, and when dried to room temperature, most remain viable for less than 9 months [28]. Properly stored seed can remain viable for up to 8 months, but viability is much reduced after 15 months [49,52]. Acorns stored for 6 to 12 months frequently exhibit varying degrees of damage or deformity. Temperatures just above freezing and a moisture content of 60 percent of the fresh weight appear most conducive to long viability [49]. Seedling establishment: Establishment of Nuttall's scrub oak through seed appears to be uncommon despite consistent acorn production [27,31,54,49]. Seedlings sometimes establish under the oak canopy, but it is doubtful whether many are actually recruited into the population [29]. Seedling establishment probably only occurs during years of ample precipitation [54,73]. Where establishment from seed does take place, seedlings generally emerge during the first growing season, although a few may emerge during the second growing season [73]. Vegetative regeneration: Nuttall's scrub oak typically sprouts vigorously in response to fire, mechanical injury, or other types of disturbance [5,9,46]. Several types of vegetative response have been well documented for this species. Nuttall's scrub oak commonly stump-sprouts when portions of the stump remain undamaged [10,39,44]. It also sprouts from the root crown after the trunk or aerial crown is damaged [9,20,50]. It does not produce a lignotuber [27], but occasionally old root crowns which have been burned repeatedly develop into massive structures at the ground surface [20]. These swollen root crowns have the ability to sprout from latent buds but are not considered to be lignotuberous [25]. SITE CHARACTERISTICS : Nuttall's scrub oak generally occurs on sandy soils near the coast. Parent material is often sandstone. It grows at elevations less than 660 feet (200 m) [23]. SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : Nuttall's scrub oak is an important species in some chaparral communities of California [12]. These communities depend on fire for their continued existence. Succession here may perhaps best be viewed as a process by which senescent individuals are replaced by new individuals of the same species [20]. A dense cover of Nuttall's scrub oak generally develops within 5 to 10 years after fire in oak chaparral [41]. In many areas Nuttall's scrub oak, along with ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.), assumes dominance as early as the fourth year after fire [30]. In coastal chaparral communities of southern California, Nuttall's scrub oak generally becomes dominant during the second decade after fire, and within 30 to 40 years oak chaparral communities on north-facing slopes have closed canopies. The vegetative composition of these sites remains essentially unchanged without further disturbance, with Nuttall's scrub oak continuing to dominate [20]. Nuttall's scrub oak's prolific sprouting ability makes it a prominent component of early seral communities. SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : Hanes [15] observed that the cambial activity of Nuttall's scrub oak in California chaparral began in March and peaked in May. The oak was inactive from late July through February [22]. Immature acorns which have been damaged by wind, rain, hail, or insects begin to fall in May [37]. Ripe acorns are dispersed in fall [28].

Related categories for Species: Quercus dumosa | Nuttall's Scrub Oak

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Information Courtesy: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Fire Effects Information System

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