North Central Research Station

Oak Health in the Midwest - Oak Decline

Urbanization Impacts Oak Wilt Oak Decline Regional Assessment In the Missouri Ozarks Armillaria Root Disease

The issue

Oak decline is a disease syndrome caused by interactions over time among several factors such as quality of the site, age of the trees, droughts, insect defoliation and stem boring, root disease, and human cultural practices. Several declines of oaks have occurred in the Eastern U.S. since the mid-1800s, each the result of a slightly different suite of factors. Recently, decline and mortality of oaks seem to be accelerating in some areas of the Midwest, particularly in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri, where they are impacting regeneration and thus the composition of future forests. Forest managers need to know when and where decline is the most severe, and how to plan for the future.

Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri.
Photo by K. Kromroy

What are we doing about it?

We are doing a regional assessment of oak health back to the 1970s.

We are looking at the characteristics most related to oak decline in the Missouri Ozarks, with a particular emphasis on the role of Armillaria root disease in reduced oak stump sprout regeneration.

We are identifying Armillaria species associated with decline and mortality of oaks and other tree species in several areas of the region.

For additional information on this topic, refer to:

More information on  Oak decline in the Ozarks