Pacific Southwest

Title: The Effect of Season and Stock Density on Blue Oak Establishment

Author: Hall, Lillian M.; George, Melvin R.; Adams, Theodore E.; Sands, Peter B.; McCreary, Douglas D.

Date: 1991

Source: In: Standiford, Richard B., tech. coord. 1991. Proceedings of the symposium on oak woodlands and hardwood rangeland management; October 31 - November 2, 1990; Davis, California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-126. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 312-314

Station ID: GTR-PSW-126

Description: Cattle have been faulted as a possible cause for poor oak regeneration in California's hardwood rangelands. This study sought to determine the effects of stock density and season of grazing on blue oak (Quercus douglasii) establishment. Year old blue oak seedlings were transplanted into annual grass/rose clover pastures at the Sierra Foothill Range Field Station. Steers were allowed to graze one plot per week at low, medium, and high stock densities (1, 3, and 6 steers/acre, respectively) during the months of January and April. Results from January indicate that low stock density does not have a significant impact on oak establishment. Grazing damage by the steers and browsing damage by deer increased substantially in April. Trampling damage was usually minimal.

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Citation

Hall, Lillian M.; George, Melvin R.; Adams, Theodore E.; Sands, Peter B.; McCreary, Douglas D.  1991.  The Effect of Season and Stock Density on Blue Oak Establishment.   In: Standiford, Richard B., tech. coord. 1991. Proceedings of the symposium on oak woodlands and hardwood rangeland management; October 31 - November 2, 1990; Davis, California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-126. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 312-314.