VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii | Swamp Chestnut Oak 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Oak species account for one-third of the hardwood sawtimber volume in
the United States [33].  Swamp chestnut oak is a heavy, hard wood that
machines well but is subject to checking and warping if not dried
properly.  It is used for flooring, furniture, boxes, crates, barrels,
kegs, ships and boats [25].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Swamp chestnut oak acorns are an important food for a variety of birds
and mammals, including white-tailed deer, black bear, red fox, wild
turkey, northern bobwhite, waterfowl, and squirrels [1,24].  Acorns are
also used as fodder for livestock, including chickens [2].  Tannins in
the acorns can poison livestock at high concentrations.


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Acorns are low in protein but high in fat and nitrogen-free extract.
Percent nutrient values are given below.

Source [4]:                       Source [24]:

crude fat        3.3              crude fat         1.8
total protein    4.1              total protein     3.1
carbohydrates    56.1             N-free extract   58.9
phosphorus        0.12            crude fiber      12.9
calcium           0.08            water content    21.3
magnesium         0.06


COVER VALUE : 
The southeastern forested wetlands ecosystem, of which swamp chestnut
oak is a part, borders streams and swamps.  Overhanging vegetation
provides cover and shade for fish [14].  Swamp chestnut oak also
provides cover for birds, mammals, and reptiles, some of which are
endangered species in the southern wetland ecosystems [14].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Swamp chestnut oak has been used in restoring degraded bottomland
hardwood forests of the Southeast [21].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Although swamp chestnut oak is not endangered, much of its southern
forested wetlands habitat is being converted to agricultural land and
subdivisions [6].  Some remaining areas are in need of rejuvenation.
Clearcutting is considered the most effective way to regenerate and
rejuvenate bottomland hardwood sites [11,29].  But because of the wide
variety of site conditions in these types, proper clearcutting
techniques differ from site to site.  Following clearcutting, natural
regeneration is recommended [29].  All residual stems should be removed
after commercial harvests, either by girdling, shearing, chopping, or
applying herbicides.

Management techniques for enhancing bottomland hardwood forests near
waterfowl wintering habitat include filling reservoir pools during early
fall, with drawdown beginning in mid-February [20].  Small clearcuts can
be used to release other trees, promoting growth for cover and mast for
food.

Seven years after a clearcut in a bottomland forest of Alabama, the
number of swamp chestnut oaks stems per acre doubled compared to the
preharvest stand [11].

Weevils (Curculio spp.) can infect oak acorns during light crop years
[22].  Oak species are also susceptible to a variety of insect pests,
fungi, cankers, and wilts.  Refer to Solomon and others [33] for details
on how to recognize and control these diseases and pests.  Oaks also
experience what is called "oak decline;" this is when a tree dies or
suffers from dieback of limbs due to environmental stresses [34].

Related categories for Species: Quercus michauxii | Swamp Chestnut Oak