ABSTRACT
Temperate hardwood forests dominate much of the Eastern United States, from Central Maine to Northern Minnesota and Eastern Texas to Northcentral Florida. Within the eastern deciduous biome, oak represents one of the dominant forest types. Approximately 30 oak species occur in the Eastern United States, of which white oak, red oak, black oak, scarlet oak, post oak, and chestnut oak are among the most dominant (Table 2.1). Oaks are an important component of many forest associations in the Eastern United States, including northern hardwood conifer, maple-beechbasswood, mixed mesophytic, oak-hickory, oak-pine, and southern evergreen (see Chapter 3). Indeed, oak trees have dominated forests of the Eastern United States during the last 7000-9000 years. The long-term stability of oak forests is remarkable considering all the ecological problems these species are presently facing. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss the ecological history and long-term stability of oak in the Eastern United States and causes for the recent oak regeneration failure.
