VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Quercus macrocarpa | Bur Oak 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Bur oak is harvested for timber from bottomlands of Iowa and Illinois
[7].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Bur oak provides food and cover for wildlife species [40].  The foliage
is a common and important constituent of cattle diets in the Black
Hills, South Dakota [37,38].  Foliage is also an important food for
white-tailed deer in the Black Hills [37].  Cattle, horses, and sheep
eat the seedlings [34].

Many birds and mammals eat bur oak acorns including squirrels, deer,
wood ducks, blue jays, and cows [25,37,42].  Rodents and blue jays
frequently cache the acorns for later use, thereby facilitating seed
dispersal.




PALATABILITY : 
Bur oak is somewhat palatable to many species of wildlife and domestic
livestock.  It provides forage during much of the year for both mule
deer and cattle in the Black Hills of South Dakota [37,40].  Average
comsuption for cattle in the Black Hills was [38]:

                June       13.2%
                July        8.7%
                August     12.2%
                September  12.4%   

Cattle may prefer browsing bur oak.  Although cover of bur oak at one
South Dakota site was only estimated at 1.5 percent, it comprised 12.2
percent of the cattle's diet in August [38].  Young seedlings may be
palatable to cattle, horses, and sheep [34].

The degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for bur oak in
North Dakota and Wyoming is [7]:

                         ND       WY
Cattle                  Poor     Poor
Sheep                   Fair     Fair
Horses                  Poor     Poor
Pronghorn               Fair     Poor
Bighorn                 ----     ----
Elk                     ----     Fair
Mt. goat                ----     ----
Mule deer               Good     Good
White-tailed deer       Good     Good
Small mammals           Good     Good
Small nongame birds     Poor     Good
Upland game birds       ----     Good
Waterfowl               ----     Poor
             


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Bur oak is poor energy and protein value [7].  General nutritional data
for the genus Quercus are [21]:

                        Oak leaves       Acorns       Acorn meats
Dry matter - %            100.0           100.0          100.0
Organic matter - %        -----            97.5           98.0
Ash - %                     5.6             2.5            2.0
Crude fiber - %            27.4            13.9            2.0
Ether extract - %           2.5             5.4            8.9
N-free extract - %         54.3            73.5           80.7
Protein (nx6.25)%          10.2             4.8            6.4
  Cattle-dig. protein - %   5.8             0.5            1.9
  Goats-dig. protein - %    6.1             1.7            3.1
  Horses-dig. protein - %   6.2             1.7            3.1
  Sheep-dig. protein - %    5.7             1.7            3.1

Nutritional data for whole bur oak acorns are [7]:

              Chemical content of whole acorns (%)     

Crude    Total               Total          P      Ca        Mg
fat      carbohydrates       protein 
 4.8      45.9                4.3           0.10   0.08      0.06


COVER VALUE : 
Bur oak provides hiding cover and nesting sites for many birds and
mammals.  Red-tailed hawks, screech owls, fox squirrels, and flying
squirrels nest in large bur oaks [34].  The degree to which bur oak
provides environmental protection during one or more seasons for
several wildlife species is [7]:

                       ND      WY
Pronghorn             Poor    Poor
Bighorn               ----    ----
Elk                   ----    Good
Mt. goat              ----    ----   
Mule deer             Good    Good
White-tailed deer     Good    Good
Small mammals         Good    Good
Small nongame bird    Good    Good
Upland game birds     ----    Good
Waterfowl             ----    Poor

              


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Bur oak has been widely tested for use in rehabilitation.  It has been
successfully planted on coal spoils in the north-central and northern
Great Plains, and in the Western Interior Coal Province which
encompasses Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma [40].  Bur oak may be either
seeded or transplanted onto disturbed areas.

Seeds should be planted in groups of two or three, 0.5 to 1 inch (1.2 to
2.5 cm) deep, at a density of 900 to 1,000 per acre.  Recommended
spacing is 6 feet by 6 feet by 7 feet (1.8 m x 1.8 m x 2.1 m).  Acorns
average 45 percent germination with 75 seeds per pound [40]. 

Acorns are frequently stratified under cold moist conditions for 1 to 2
months prior to planting [40], although stratification is not required
[45].  Direct seeding is usually carried out during the fall in the
Western Interior Coal Province [40], although seed may be planted in
either the spring or fall.  Seed may be hand broadcast, hand drilled, or
mechanically broadcast.  Mulching aids the germination of seed planted
in the fall [45].  Most seed germination occurs during the fall, but
Quercus macrocarpa var. olivaeformis typically germinates during the
spring [40].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Bur oak is extremely tolerant of city smoke and other air pollutants
[43].  It has been widely planted in Minneapolis and other urban areas
[39], and is commonly planted as a shade tree in many other areas of the
United States [42]. 


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Bur oak sprouts vigorously following cutting of pole-size or smaller
trees.  Larger trees may also produce some sprouts [7].  Chemical
control of bur oak is difficult [44].

Related categories for Species: Quercus macrocarpa | Bur Oak