VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Quercus falcata | Southern Red Oak 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Cherrybark oak produces wood of exceptional quality.  The strong and
heavy wood is used for furniture, interior finish, veneers, factory
lumber, and railroad ties [25,44].  Wood of the typical variety is also
strong and heavy, but tends to be rough, coarse-grained, and have insect
and stain damage.  It is used mainly for factory lumber and railroad
ties and timbers [4,44].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Both varieties of southern red oak provide cover and nesting sites for
birds and mammals.  The acorns are an important food source for wildlife
including waterfowl, wild turkey, blue jay, red-headed and red-bellied
woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatch, common grackle, raccoon,
white-tailed deer, and squirrels [4,25].  Cherrybark oak acorns provide a
substantial part (10 percent or more) of the overall wildlife diet in
the southeastern United States.  The heaviest eaters are the gray
squirrel, wild turkey, and blue jay [25].  Acorns of the red oak group
are an especially important food source in the winter because those of
the white oak group germinate soon after falling and, therefore, are
unavailable [48].


PALATABILITY : 
Among 12 southeastern oak species, southern red oak ranked second in
preference to the fox squirrel [40].

Southern red oak is not a preferred browse for cattle [2].
  


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Acorns of both varieties are high in fat but low in protein.  Percent
nutrient values are given below:

           southern red oak [5]     cherrybark oak [5]
              
crude fat       17.0                      15.8
carbohydrates   23.0                      29.5
total protein    5.1                       4.0
phosphorus       0.08                      0.06
calcium          0.32                      0.27
magnesium        0.14                      0.06

                     


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Cherrybark oak is used in the restoration of bottomland hardwood forests
on abandoned agricultural fields and harvested pine plantations.
Bottomland forests provide excellent wildlife habitat and watershed
protection [38].  Acorn collection, storage, and treatment methods are
detailed [5].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Southern red oak and cherrybark oak are used for shade trees [4,25].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Both varieties of southern red oak are important timber species.  The
shelterwood silvicultural system is generally recommended for oak
regeneration [4,17,31], although clearcutting followed by seeding or
planting may be adequate [39].  The shelterwood system provides advance
regeneration which is necessary because of the slow initial growth of
oak seedlings.  If a shelterwood system is used, the overstory should be
removed as soon as there is adequate advance regeneration because the
release of southern red oak causes profuse epicormic branching
[4,17,31].

If clearcutting is used, control of understory competition may be
necessary.  Cherrybark oak becomes a vigorous competitor after 4 to 5
years.  In one study, planting 2-year-old seedlings after disking and
clearcutting gave the best regeneration.  In addition to setting back
woody species competition, disking eliminates the physical support for
vines which can shade out seedlings.  In the same study, seedlings
released by herbicides during the second growing season showed no better
growth than unreleased seedlings [39].

New, naturally regenerated bottomland forests tend to contain a smaller
cherrybark oak component than did previous stands.  One study
investigated 50 even-aged stands containing at least 70 percent red oak
(primarily cherrybark oak) to determine why these stands had a high
component of red oak.  The researchers found that at least 78 percent of
the stands had been disturbed during stand establishment, either by
grazing, agricultural plowing or mowing, or fire.  A seedling that is
top-killed by disturbance will sprout and may be top-killed and sprout
several times.  The root system continues to develop and enables the
sprout to compete more vigorously than true seedlings.  Consequently,
stand disturbance prior to or during establishment tends to favor red
oak species [2].  Another study [28] showed that midstory and understory
competition control combined with clipping cherrybark seedlings 1 inch
(2.5 cm) above the groundline increases the growth and vigor of
cherrybark oak advance regeneration.

Epicormic branching must be minimized to produce high quality southern
red oak timber.  The lower bole will remain free of limbs if shaded.
Dense even-aged pure stands or mixed stands produce high quality
cherrybark oak timber.  Researchers have experimented growing cherrybark
oak in mixed stands with loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), sweetgum
(Liquidambar styraciflua), boxelder (Acer negundo), American sycamore
(Platanus occidentalis), and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera).
Sweetgum keeps the oak's bole shaded and free of branches, and
cherrybark oak will assert dominance over sweetgum in 1 to 2 decades.
American sycamore, on the other hand, outcompetes and suppresses
cherrybark oak.  It may be possible to grow mixed stands if American
sycamore is eliminated for 16.4 feet (5 m) around each oak before age
12.  American sycamore greater than 32.8 feet (10 m) from an oak may be
left in the stand.  Boxelders are good trainers for cherrybark oak, but
yellow-poplar outcompetes and dominates it [41].  Cherrybark oak quality
is also seriously compromised when grown with loblolly pine [6].

Damaging agents:  Southern red oak varieties are very susceptible to
insects and disease when wounded, overmature, or growing on poor sites
[4,25,44].  Numerous fungi cause cankers and heart rot.  The typical
southern red oak variety is susceptible to leaf spots caused by
Actinopelte dryina and Elsinoe quercus-falcata, and both varieties
suffer from leaf blister caused by Taphrina caerulescens.  The species
is highly susceptible to oak wilt (Ceratocystis fagacearum) which occurs
mainly north of the 35th parallel.  Several species of Hypoxylon
colonize the trunk sapwood of wilted trees [4,25].

Wood-boring insects, including twolined chestnut borer (Agrilus
bilineatus), Columbian timber beetle (Corthylus columbianus), and pecan
carpenterworm (Cossula magnifica), attack both varieties.  Carpenterworm
(Prionoxystus robiniae), red oak borer (Enaphalodes rufulus), oak
clearwing borer (Paranthrene simulans), and living beech borer (Goes
pulverulentus) have attacked cherrybark oak.  Anisota oakworms (Anisolta
senatoria and A. stigma) defoliate both varieties [4,25].

Acorns are damaged by weevils, such as Curculio spp. and Conotrachelus
posticatus, and by filbertworm (Melissopus latiferreanus).  Seedlings
are damaged and killed by hickory spiral borer (Agrilus arcuatus var.
torguatus) and oak stem borer (Aneflormorpha subpubescens) [4,25].

The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), which has defoliated and killed
northeastern oak species, showed 20 percent survival in feeding trials
using southern red oak.  This introduced moth has been spreading
southward from New England and, if not contained, could become a problem
for southern red oak [34].

Hardwood competition in pine plantations is often controlled by
herbicide.  Southern red oak is relatively easy to kill with herbicide
injection [24].  Garlan 4, Garlon 3A, Roundup, and Arsenal foliar
sprays reduce the crown volume, but only Arsenal is adequate at
reducing the rootstock [32].

In order to provide habitat and food for wintering waterfowl, bottomland
forests composed of cherrybark oak and other semi-flood-tolerant,
mast-producing species are often impounded during the winter.  The
shallow water is drawn down in the early spring to prevent tree damage.
If spring drawdown is delayed or incomplete, cherrybark oak, which is
only weakly flood tolerant, may be unable to recover once the site dries
out [35].

Related categories for Species: Quercus falcata | Southern Red Oak