Are Oaks In Trouble?

[@christychristina292]

I'm in NYS with 20 acres of unplowed farm fields that I've been converting to wildlife habitat land w native trees for 40 years. Been visiting old forest areas & collecting buckets of acorns from beneath trees I feel are exceptional every September at acorn drop. Planting 3 acorns per hole in November. I now have several stands of large red & white oak plus oak lined walking trails. Beloved by many species- mine are getting acorns now. I also do this with basswood and shagbark hickory trees. My land is now a self sustaining treasure.

[@paulfolding9021]

I live in northeast New Jersey in a semi urban area and last fall was one of the heaviest mast seasons that i can remember . Was it the same by you ?

[@shalacarter6658]

Blessings to you!

[@christychristina292]

@@paulfolding9021 Yes! Absolutely. My most prolific tree was covered so heavily that the branches were pointing straight downwards. Glad to hear you got to experience this event also. Wonderful. I wonder if it was cyclical/similar throughout our geographic region? Very interesting.

[@sarajanesnyder7724]

Christychristina, your comment made me so happy. Thank you. Have you read the classic "the man who planted trees" by Jean giono? I'm guessing you receive it as a gift on a regular basis, as it sounds like the story of your land.

[@sgmarr]

I do not know if Cycles are the same for all trees? But I noticed apple trees have a 7 yr Cycle, where they load so heavily! If you believe in Creation by Almighty Father? And IF you know His Laws? He states every 7 years, you should allow your land to Rest, to rejuvenate itself, NO Gardening. I just places the apple tree Cycle with this Law. He is Creator. Promises you will NOT go hungry.... So if you observe the year of heavy harvest? The next would BE the Rest Year. I imagine the same applies to ALL Plants.... Same Creator!

[@timmiller1]

I moved an oak seedling out of my woods and into my front yard four years ago and it’s currently my favorite tree to watch grow. So far this spring it has grown 35 inches and isn’t slowing down. I probably won’t get to see it as a mature tree, but it sure is fun to watch and cultivate.

[@nikkireigns]

How did you move it without killing it? Every time I try, they don’t do well. I get as much taproot as I can

[@timmiller1]

@@nikkireigns I just move them when they are very small so the roots fit in a big shovelful of soil.

[@timothykennedy721]

Red oaks are a much faster grower than most other oaks (in case you want to see them grow up). Oaks don't transplant well... baby oaks have have a decent shot at success if transplanted immediately after leaf drop in the Fall, with as much original soil as possible. Check soil preference for different varieties, etc, etc, best information resource is doing it wrong frequently 🤪

[@jturtle5318]

​@@nikkireignsI collect acorns and push them point-first into soil in a large fabric pot. A few are big enough that they need to get put in the ground, and devise individual cages to keep the deer off them.

[@thisbushnell2012]

​@@jturtle5318 ditto, but the property is surrounded by mature maples, which produce hundreds of thousands of 'helicopters' every spring. Slowly making headway in increasing the diversity.

[@theskitteringcoyote]

I have a white oak not native to my area , but my Grandad planted it here in my yard in the mid 70s as a sapling, and it finally produced acorns for the first time in 2017 at the ripe age of 41 years old

[@gardeninggalagain]

I have 5 varied species oaks in a small suburban yard. They have been producing acorns since I moved here when they were 10ish years of age. I think you white oak is an exception.

[@finscreenname]

Some Oaks only drop acorns for something like every 7+ years. I have one in my yard. Lived here almost 20 years and only remember it dropping acorns like twice but when it does there is millions of them compared to the other Oaks.

[@LadyLeda2]

I used to love walking in the woods around where I live. Touching the trees and watching the undergrowth come up and fruit. There was even wild trillions coming up. Those were the days that I long for. But now I am wheelchair bound from a badly done back surgery, and can not go into the woods without a path. Be thankful for your legs because they can take you places that are wonderful.

[@AdrepKeith]

Well if you live in SW Michigan I would be more than happy to take you.

[@AdrepKeith]

Where are you located Leda?

[@bill8985]

Massachusetts, maybe?

[@MikeinVirginia1]

Sorry about your back surgery and the problems it caused you. Looks like people are responding to your need!

[@MarkFrost-zc5ne]

Look to the future you will walk and run again remember there will be new heaven and new earth Lord send people to take you for walks

[@Bob_Adkins]

I live in Louisiana, and several of my mature oaks developed weeping cracks in the bark running from the base to 15-20 feet up the trunk. There was said to be a serious fungal disease spreading, so I thought they would die. Now 15 years later, they seem to have fully recovered. They're resilient trees that just need a little leg up to thrive.

[@wishesandrainbows7937]

I love my oaks trees, I bought my house specifically because of these beautiful oak trees. They’ve got to be over 100 years old, making this beautiful majestic canopy over my house. Last year the acorns were literally up to my knees. Massive deforestation going on around me, I feel the calling to protect them.

[@robertsirois486]

Back in the Sixties, here in Maine, we used to burn off fields on a regular basis. Sometimes we would let that peter out into the woods. The fire would remove low growing brush species and ticks were not a big problem. In fact, we rarely worried about ticks.

[@somecooney5304]

Got my 25 little acres of mature bush. I spend my time chopping out invasives (like buckthorn), caging and helping along any burr oak seedlings I find, clearing sections of brush/junk, and planting hardwoods like walnut and Shagbark hickory, making birdhouses and brush/log piles for animal hidey places. I planted one white oak, and the rabbits figured out how to get it through the wire?? These Burr oak are the prize of my bush. Plenty of mature red oak and hemlock too. Great trees, but nothing can touch the white oak for being a treasure of the forest.

[@kooale]

Ten cheers for you friend, carry on!

[@jrstsb1353]

Land management is 100% necessary when invasive species are prevalent, I've seen the ground under my oaks, hickory and walnut transform within 2 years of removing Bush honeysuckle. It's went from an invasive monoculture to the natural balance of a native habit. It's amazing how fast it bounced back really. It's sad to see local nurses still selling highly invasive plants.

[@johnwright9372]

The early US Navy ships were made from white oak which was about 50% denser and stronger than European oak. Old Ironsides USS Constitution could not be penetrated by the cannon of the smaller British frigates in the 1812 to 1814 war.

[@williemasterofdestruction5339]

✌️💚🍉

[@cantwealljustgetalong2]

"invasives" are here to stay, they were brought here by humans they didnt ask to come here

[@leelastarsky]

I'm in Australia, where most of our native trees need fire to germinate. In Feb 2009 we had an horrific bushfire here, just north of Melbourne, Victoria, now known as Black Saturday. It killed a lot of people and incinerated several towns. One of the towns worst hit was Marysville VIC. The fire was so hot, cars and metal infrastructure MELTED. I couldn't bring myself to visit Marysville for 3yrs, because I dreaded seeing the devastation. When I did finally go, I was shocked how much of the surrounding eucalypt forests were DEAD. Eucalypts are made for fire, and usually look like hairy sticks with leaf growth a few yrs after a bushfire. Most of this was literally dead. Skeletons. Sure there was growth coming up from the ground, but the trees were all dead. What really shocked me was all the European trees that had survived while the natives had not! Oaks, elms, maples, dogwoods! Trees that had been planted by the early (English) colonists in an attempt to bring a bit of 'home' to the foreign land. Their colour in Autumn has been a huge draw to the town for as long as I can remember. And still is! And our native animals, especially birds/parrots seem to thrive on them. After our Black Summer bushfires of 2019/2020, I wonder how much of our pyrophytic forests will survive. Thanks for your video!

[@justanamerican9024]

Thank you for another informative and well presented video. Recently, I saw a video which was about lands in the Catskill Mt in NYS that were cultured by Native Americans. An old forester floated the idea that where the oaks grew today is where the Native Americans used fire to support their environmental culturing of the landscape. Your video presented parallel ideas on fire and oak establishment in the forest.

[@24TRUTH1]

Ugh, my husband and I have literally been pulling up oak saplings all over our yard in my flowerbeds. I should have left them!! Or at least potted them and replanted...will from now on...we have tons of them from our big trees!

[@b_uppy]

Sell the surplus or offer them to gardening clubs for their plant sales as other options.

[@Mitch-hi8ew]

Have no fear. Oaks are fine. We just have a lot to learn about managing our landscapes over the long term.

[@savage22bolt32]

For the past 3 years I've planted acorns and sycamore seeds. I've tried fall planting, and storing in the freezer over winter, then spring planting. So far not one has germinated. On the other hand, I pull up maple seedlings like weeds all summer long every year for 30 years.

[@b_uppy]

@@savage22bolt32 I plants tree seeds in the fall. It will provide the best conditions for adding germination. Freezing overdries them. Refrigerating is correct way to provide chilling hours. How are you fall planting them? You may need to score the outer shell on one side before planring, as well as change planting depth.

[@lauraweiss7875]

I have a volunteer sugar maple and white oak in my yard. Every year I struggle to keep more from popping up everywhere. I do live in a very old neighborhood in Northern Illinois (we have a number of 150+ year old hardwoods on our suburban block) so maybe that why oaks and maples are relentless here. Our forest preserves are also heavy with oaks and maples.

[@mackquack2929]

I liked the way you handled the video. Glad to hear "I don't know". Stay interested. Stay aware. Stay humble. I enjoy nature. When my observations go against narratives, I am ostracized by herd following nature group individuals. I rarely get defended.

[@olgakuchukov6981]

Same here, across multiple themes. I try to practice the tree’s point of view - slow, expansive, containing millennia. We are attracted to Learn Your Land because he is practicing this similar approach. Cheers!

[@jturtle5318]

Try being a disabled 60 year old woman picking up acorns and crabapples on the side of the road, including people's yards. I start them in fabric pots behind an 8 foot fence, the oaks do well in them. I have some big enough now that I need to make cages to keep the deer out and turn them loose on my property.

[@stevenshanko7332]

Not to mention Beech trees, also in the Fagaceae family, are suffering from the newly discovered Beech Leaf Disease that is absolutely sweeping throughout the state. We were surprised to find it in Delaware County last month, but I have since seen it everywhere in Sullivan, Tioga, Forest, Erie, and Clarion Counties as well.

[@LearnYourLand]

Here's a recent video I filmed on beech leaf disease: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZm1fqqfd9h3nZosi=ENqH7JTF1fosnlv2

[@spookybones7218]

Tell it to stay out of ohio also those dancing aphids love beech trees in michigan

[@shalacarter6658]

I hated to give this a thumb's up.

[@riverannie7]

My gorgeous beech trees have begun to show the orange color on their bark. These are 90 feet tall and there is nothing I can do to help save them. I have huge black cherry tree that has its center pith it’s not well and I need to have it cut down so it does not smash my home , over 200 years old. And 80 feet tall

[@SanctuaryGardenLiving]

The Beech here in CT seem to be getting hit hard.

[@MrMrm1994]

Overpopulation of white tail deer is a big issue. They eat the oak seedlings. When these 100 year old trees were sapling there were very few deer in North America compared to the millions today.

[@voxxiigen7797]

Probably the same with squirrels. Lack of predators in so many areas has repercussions.

[@jturtle5318]

I learned that the first time I planted red oak acorns. Now I have a fenced area for my trees, because they also eat redbud, dogwood and of course apples. I plan to use fencing scraps to protect them when I finally put them out, I have a flat acre of recovering horse pasture but have an electrical transmission line running through the long way and have to keep it accessible to their repair trucks.

[@kathyodato8322]

@@voxxiigen7797 absolutely the squirrels have an impact. Our research showed that squirrels simply walk around forest nipping off the seedlings.

[@spilledit]

There were more oaks. A lot more

[@thnksno]

I don't think that's necessarily true. On my property, there's at least 150-200 large oaks of varying types. In the areas where they're most visible around the house, acorn production is never consistent year to year. Some years, the acorns are minimal. Other years, like last year or back in 2017, we were overwhelmed by acorns. So much so that there's oak sprouts everywhere, even deep into the woods. I believe it is called masting. It seems to be sort of a natural survival mechanism for the species to over produce some years. I have plenty of deer, squirrels, and other critters. There's no way they can consume all of the acorns during these large production years.

[@Nemrai]

Where I live in Norway, for the last few years I've been planting acorns from my town's oldest oak, and a few other oaks. As well as some horse chestnuts. In areas where older trees have been cut down. So far many of them have survived and are doing well. I'm also removing saplings and seedlings of faster growing trees around them so they have a better chance, as often as I can.

[@communitygardener17]

We have oaks because we have squirrels. They are hard working acorn planters and we have good luck putting up chicken wire around new seedlings. We also sprinkle a little soil from the base of mature oaks around the seedlings and it helps them thrive.

[@jgannon1637]

I have 15 years experience herding goats to groom land. I work alongside them and create burn piles with about 5 to 10 burns a year for about 5 acres. The goats are drawn to smaller trees that aren't in harmony and they work at taking them out by debarking and bashing them. They dont mess with younger oaks because they don't like the bark. After about 5 years the land reaches a homeostasis from what Ive witnessed. Thanks.

[@shalacarter6658]

Who knew there was something goats did not like? :)

[@jgannon1637]

@@shalacarter6658 They love oak leaves of mature trees, yet not the bark or saplings. Oak leaves are like a steak dinner to goats. By far the most nutritive and filling. Thanks.

[@trenomas1]

Thank you. This is useful wisdom. I will see what I can do with this.

[@zackm1237]

Where do you work?

[@user-hn9fr7mn3x]

I’m a simple man. I see trees, I click like.

[@savage22bolt32]

I ❤ motorcycles, but been climbing trees since even before I started riding.

[@herelieskittythomas3726]

❤

[@GIGADEV690]

I am simple Orc see trees mentioned in comments and give a thumbs up 👍

[@cantwealljustgetalong2]

ok sir

[@taravamos2954]

Ash trees, Hemlocks, Beach trees, now oaks. It's so very, very sad.

[@jerrybruckhart9134]

And before them was the chestnut.

[@jamskinner]

Well plant some.

[@mattneil1449]

Elms

[@bryceg5709]

@@jamskinnerhumans get that wrong when we just plant we create monoclonal species picture a forest we would expect trees on opposite sides of a forest to be more different then those smack next to each other which would be quite similar even clones of each other. Simply planting we take one type and put it everywhere which is why when the blue spruces that we’re all planted start having disease suddenly all the trees are dead in your city. If you wish to plant you must try to get variety which is tough where does that oak seedling come from

[@CowboyPants-h5p]

*beech

[@louisedunlap5395]

So grateful you are taking on the topic of fire in the life of oaks and seeking to learn the right role of humans in our beautifully complex ecosystems. I'm most familiar with the fire/oak/human relationship in the central coast area of California where, before my family came here in the 1800s, Indigenous people had figured out how to keep oaks (a staple food source) healthy through use of fire. They understood the complexity of this intervention: their timely gentle fires did more than remove overgrowth that contributes to both over-shading of seedlings and today's mega-fires. Their burns killed disease pathogens like those that cause today's devastating Sudden Oak Death. They nourished the soil and encouraged a whole range of food and medicine species that had evolved with fire. In other words, the human role in ecosystem balance--as they practiced it-- was far more nuanced than simply clearing unwanted trees. It had taken thousands of years of observation to develop in all its complexity and was immediately suppressed by settler fears of fire. (Upon statehood in California, controlled burning actually became a crime.) I was struggling to understand these issues as I wrote "Inherited Silence: Listening to the Land, Healing the Colonizer Mind.". ("Colonizer mind" is partly about thinking you know how to handle a situation when you don't know the half of it.) It's good for me to learn more about the oaks in other parts of the continent. And, Adam, it would be cool if you could engage some Native ecologists in the course you are teaching. There are many very knowledgeable ones out here like Ron Goode of the North Fork Mono Tribe. www.pbssocal.org/shows/tending-the-wild/clip/cultural-burning With the magnitude of changes afoot, we need all the wisdom we can get.

[@saucywench9122]

Actually while the natives fire were timely I've since discovered they were largely not gentle. Historical accounts show whole herds of bison being burned to death and statements that North America was " a place you smelled before you saw the coastline ". How big does a fire need to be to stretch so far out into the ocean that you smell it before even seeing the shore. They routinely got out of hand.

[@mrose6107]

Thanks for putting the word out. I planted a native oak recently. It is very slow growing. Leaving it for the next generation. Love you Adam!

[@DrBlood-cq2cm]

I have 136 acres in the Piedmont, about 80 of which is old growth oaks (some I estimate to be 200 years or older). In this part of the south, sweetgum trees and wild grape vines are especially nasty, and have clearly existed in my forests for maybe 100 years or more (some of the grape vines are 8 inches in diameter). I am working feverishly to turn the forests back over to the oaks and pines, but most has been done by hand. Expect to be purchasing forestry management equipment in the near future to expedite the process.

[@SuperRobie691]

Vitis riparia is fully taking over everywhere! I never noticed how invasive it was as a kid and I wonder if it was because I was an oblivious kid or if it's gotten worse. Wildlife fodder, sure - but they choke out everything else and attract the junebugs to my intentional grape plantings.

[@killabeez321]

I live in jackson, I'd love to come give you a hand sometime.

[@gregsmith9862]

Excellent video, I see this on my central Ky property consisting of mostly chestnut, white & red oaks that are being replaced by tulip poplar, Virginia pine, maple & eastern red cedar. It is interesting that in the early 1970’s a wildfire burned a few hundred acres (including most of my property) which were then clear cut in the 1990’s and in these areas there is a lot of natural oak regeneration, which is definitely not a coincidence.

[@ddennison001]

You are a regional treasure for those of us in the mid-Atlantic!

[@thomasmurray3920]

Deer overpopulation is a huge problem where I live in Maryland. I grew up in upstate NY, and spent time in the Adirondacks. Upon arriving in Maryland in a forested area, I noticed a difference right away-there were no saplings or low shrubs. Deer have basically mowed everything down other than sne weeds. So sad.

[@JonnoPlays]

80-100mph straight line winds in Texas took out a lot of our oaks recently.

[@katiekane5247]

Weather manipulation is hurting our trees everywhere. The rain is toxic and the increase in high winds/tornadoes are contributing to the decline.

[@jturtle5318]

The areas suffering the worst from climate change seem to be the most determined to deny that there's a problem. The Texas power grid is still out of date and not adapted for the freezes the the polar vortex wobbles bring to them, and people die from power outages every time. The permafrost is melting at rates no one predicted, and releasing tremendous amounts of methane. In the austral summer of 2019 - 2020 large parts of Australia burned, including a swamp that formed when Australia was part of Gondwana that had never burned during those countless eons since. It was the only swamp on the planet that wasn't adapted for occasional fires. Adapt or perish. Those are our options.

[@dougvogt8058]

Great video! I'm an old guy, but I continue to learn from you, Adam. Thank you for your efforts.

[@BonnieBlue2A]

Oak seedlings require full sun in their first 5 years of life or they will die off. Forests are dynamic systems and do not naturally remain the same. This is where forest management comes into play. Also, one should notice that oak seedlings do best and are prolific on the edges of mature hardwood forests. Red oaks have only a lifespan of about 100 years whereas the white oak may live as long as 400 years. Red oaks are among the most commonly planted trees by cities.

[@curiousbystander9193]

and when branches fall on cars, they really f people up

[@IsleOfFeldspar]

Red oaks are not limited to 100 years; what rubbish.

[@shalacarter6658]

In the Midwest, Pin Oaks are the most common urban Oak planted. But, Silver Maple are the most commonly planted urban tree. Which guarantees smashed houses and cars.

[@shalacarter6658]

@@curiousbystander9193 Silver Maples are so common in cities that they cause a lot of damage.

[@micah_lee]

Red oaks live just as long as white oak generally. Slightly less. Further, they can persist under shade and in the south where competitors are shade intolerant, this is the only place they can exist. Although it must not be closed canopy, generally intermediate light works in the south. Up north, the competitors are shade tolerant and open sun benefits the oak.

[@rw3387]

I'm a forester from eastern PA. I remember talking to a forester in Canada that was building a mgmt system for their forests in BC. He was working on a 400 yr rotation. Our mgmt system tends to be on a 75 yr system, at best. That isn't enough for a total rotation of all forest systems, starting from pioneer to climax forests. I was also seeing some mgmt practices in the forests in Germany. This particular mgmt system centered on managing the different strata of the forests. The upper level, mid level and the understory. The upper level were the more tolerant species of beech and white oak. They managed to a 36" dbh. They were the more valuable species. Mid levels were the small timber stages. The lower levels were copiced for fuels. When looking at a forest stand today, you have to take into consideration of past land uses. I've been on many stands that were farms back in the 1800s. These are stands that went through the pioneer stages of aspen and red cedar and into intermediate stages of chestnut, oak and tulip poplar. The chestnut died off and released the oaks. Future harvests were usually diameter limit harvests, which knocked stands back pretty hard with plenty of sunlight reaching the forest floor. This allowed the oaks to regenerate both from seedlings and stump sprouts. I always found that a good inventory makes for the best mgmt decisions. Basal area is a good indication of what you're going to get in the future. A shelterwood cut where you remove the portions of the understory that you don't want in your next crop. That allows your seedlings to be released. That's pretty much what the fires would accomplish. But the fires also destroy the oak seedlings. If you want an oak forest, you're going to have to get the basal area down to about 60-80 cu ft/acre. This allows the seedlings to get established and to grow. Anything heavier will result in the maples, beeches and other tolerant species to take over. For hardwoods, anything over a stocking level of 120 will result in slowing growth rates. Eventually the forest growth will stagnate and mortality will equal growth.

[@AdrepKeith]

If I remember right the Germans are very big on clean forests. They remove a lot of dead fall and you can walk easily through their beautiful forests.

[@imike7716]

Man I just learned a whole heck of a lot in the last 12+ minutes. And I'm a life-long tree lover. So glad I found your channel. Can't wait to delve into all that beautiful information. It looks intense. Thank You!

[@shanetheundertaker8474]

We have massive Oaks in our communities public palace. Trees are all protected ! A BIG hello from the UK 😊👍

[@jessemills3845]

An if you don't have younger Oaks. Then when the Old ones are gone, you Won't have Any!

[@lindalilly1544]

Same here in Northern Ireland ❤

[@runningfromabear8354]

​@@jessemills3845 we have 4000 year old oak forests (endangered). We have some time.

[@slappy8941]

"Communities" is plural, and "community's" is singular possessive. Why do all of you NPC's struggle with possessives and plurals?

[@slappy8941]

​@@jessemills3845What's with the random capitalization?

[@MartinMMeiss-mj6li]

Nice to see an nature/ecology video that doesn't talk down to the audience. Keep up the good work.

[@thomaskrafft9890]

Very well researched and concisely written. Easy to listen to you!

[@AdrepKeith]

Well things not looking good here in Mi. I have a huge White Oak on my property out back. In the 1980's I had a Forestry guy from a nearby University come in and look at that tree. He and his wife came in and did a bunch of measuring and GPSing. When finished he said "That tree is between 485 and 500 yrs old. He said it is the 2nd oldest except one tree older in the region in Saugatuck Mi. A former Forestry logging town in the 1800's early 1900's. So I have been in awe of that tree ever since. Sorry to say it has been dying slowly for a couple years now. This spring a huge branch bigger than an average oak tree fell off. Now Oak trees surrounding it have been breaking off midway up the trunk. The whole area looks like a tornado went through. Not only on my property but throughout the whole region in this area of sandy semi fertile soils, trees/ branches litter the ground everywhere. I have been trying to figure out what the hell is causing this. Then about 60 days ago I ran into a retired Dept. of Natural Resources guy. I ask him if he had any ideas. He said yes there is a disease called Oak Wilt going around. I looked it up and this is what it said. It's most prevalent in White Oak, and its a fungus. It is transmitted by the root system of the infested tree to other trees and on and on. Plus, there is a beetle that eats the fungus and spreads it to other Oaks as well. It's a disaster in my mind, and makes me sick thinking that Old Oak is older than when Columbus landed. And there were many Indians around here who likely walked by that Oak when it was young. About 200 yds1 to the South is the site of an Indian trail that is now a modern 2 lane roadway called Red Arrow Hwy. That Indian trail was converted to a stagecoach line and then an Auto Hwy that goes through many small towns and on too Lake Mi. My forest is now serving many Maples of several varietys. It will be all Maple this decade for sure.

[@jturtle5318]

We lost our sugar maples to black spot disease, and the town where I went to school has had a Maple Festival for decades, and they had to cut down all their maples. The area still produces a lot of maple products, so not everyone was affected. It's just sad thinking of all the grand trees we lost to Dutch elm disease, black spot, birch borers that killed our white birch trees, emerald ash borers, and now this oak fungus is heartbreaking. I'm sorry for your grandfather tree, the loss of that much history is always hard.

[@AdrepKeith]

@@jturtle5318 I guess it's just the balance of nature. When I was a child I remember the spraying of DDT that went on for Dutch Elm disease. My Dad had to cut down a huge Elm next to our house. Only good thing that came out of it was Morels loved it.

[@coolestdude11111]

White oaks are more resistant to oak wilt than red oaks, although all oaks are susceptible to it. No way to treat it other than remove infected trees and burn them as soon as you notice symptoms as they’ll spread from fruiting bodies of fungus or root grafts. Trees growing close together of similar species almost certainly are connected via root grafts

[@AdrepKeith]

@@coolestdude11111 The DNR guy called it White Oak Wilt.

[@coolestdude11111]

@@AdrepKeithhe may have called it that, but oak wilt affects red oaks more and can infect both red and white oaks. The fungus that causes it is Ceratocystis fagacearum. The majority of oaks I’ve seen with oak wilt and heard other foresters talk about have all been red oaks. A property owned by a university I worked for and went to had to harvest all red oaks in a 35 acre section of a larger 200 acre property because 7 trees had oak wilt and it would likely spread quickly to the rest. Trees can be infected long before they show symptoms. Here’s a short forest service article if you are interested. www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5347329.pdf

[@ScottWConvid19]

I've noticed that same condition here in northwest Indiana. The understory of the mature oaks have a variety of trees and shrubs, but oaks are not a well established population among them

[@ximono]

Huh, I had no idea. My local forest in southern Norway _used to_ be an old oak forest, until the Dutch came in the 1500s and chopped it all down to build Amsterdam. The forest is now mesophytic, there's only a few oak trees here and there. But, something is happening, a lot of oak seedlings have sprung up these last years! I may be responsible for _some_ of them, as I collect acorns in my pocket and throw them around wherever I go in the forest. But most of it is probably the work of squirrels (which we call "ekorn", literally "oak squirrel"). A gradually warmer climate is also helping, so they seem to be coming into a renaissance. I even planted an acorn outside my house, which is now a ~5 years old little stout oak tree. My hope is that it will remain long after I'm gone. This year I even propagated some in plastic cups, and about 3/4 are doing well, ready to be transplanted.

[@careyjohnston4176]

So happy to have this message to be able to relate to those living in the states that have large timber companies that have been able to convince them that having only a pine forest is a healthy environment for all that live and rely on forests. I live in Arkansas United States and almost every parcel of land is covered by pine trees. My opposition to this is that the deer do not rely on pines for much. They don't eat them or their seeds. Pine trees grow faster than oaks . They shade the ground suppressing many native shrubs the deer rely on and so do birds for berry's and insects , amphibians. Really I can't understand how this is not a concern. Keep up your messages there is a lack of vision for future of the sustainably of our world. I try to promote propagation of plants because we can't expect a country to chose between feeding its people or saving one species. Promoting the growing of things has the possibility to save genetic material.

[@ryannowak1284]

In Pennsylvania, if you have a timber harvest in an oak stand and place a tall fence enclosure around half of the harvested area, oak will grown inside the fence. Zero oak will grow outside the fence due to heavy deer pressure. What you said about fires is true but the major contributing factor to no oak regeneration on the forest floor or mid canopy is due to higher deer numbers today compared to 70+ years ago.

[@fuckdyoud2734]

breh, this is such a nuanced problem. this DOES NOT OCCUR in florida. Wanna know why? 1- different oak species 2- Our deer are more susceptible to diseases. 3- we have an actual population of people who hunt just a little bit. 4- you have a bunch of weird hunting laws.

[@peterallen4605]

Higher deer numbers than ever before in history. Suburbs create the perfect environment for deer to thrive. Much more so than the natural forests that once covered most of the east.

[@thefreetexian36]

Texas tree man, here. The good news around here is that oaks are popular trees in the nursery industry. I'd guess well over half of new trees being planted in Texas yards are live oaks, red oaks, and bur oaks. When these new neighborhoods become old neighborhoods they essentially become oak dominated forests.

[@sapelesteve]

Another interesting and informative video! Thank you Adam for keeping us informed! 👍👍🌲🌲

[@spuriouseffect]

We've noticed that here in West Virginia. Our large healthy looking Oaks are blowing over. The root systems seem to be suffering from the wetter conditions, and other trees are taking over. We've been going into those blowdown areas and taking out all but the oak seedlings.

[@MandyMichels]

Thank you for the learning opportunity! I always look forward to your videos. Have a great day 🙂

[@FoundThingsandFamilyLegacies]

Thank you. We live in Michigan. We have 200 acres. We do work with a land manager to manage our wood and in particular our oaks. Our focus is on the generations to come. We have started many oak trees and have a section of our garden area set aside for future trees. Mainly White Oak. Oak wilt is a concern as well. We would REALLY like to have a controlled burn - however, getting a permit to do so is nearly impossible and the cost "insurance" is extreme. Active management is our desire for the future generations. This land is a 5th generation legacy land.

[@b_uppy]

Many places are groundwater poor so mesofication seems to be a natural response to recharge watertables. The Oglala Aquifer is at 20%. Think that's why we are seeing mesic dominance in some areas due to flooding issues in some areas because the land is dry and water-impermeable. Think pyrific oak trees are growing along the edge of Eastern forests and Midwestern prarie edge as "pioneer trees." Think the Great Plains were actually savannas and Native Americans changed it with burning to be able to see game better. Think the savannas are trying to come back. Keep in mind that feral pigs may be impacting oaks as acorns are a desirable food to them. Pretty sure acorn sprouts are yasty to pigs, too. Should also be noted that some of the most expensive pork is from Iberia where pigs are fattened on acorns... Planting oaks in urban parks makes sense to help preserve future tree diversity (less so around concrete and paved structures). Allowing strategic logging could assist as well. Seems oaks would dominate near ridgelines and wherever the sides of hills jut out, because that is naturally dry.

[@Mr3bedid]

I took forestry classes at Hocking College "in south east Ohio "and The Ohio State University; literally half the subject matter was select cutting to promote oak regeneration. I have an urban woodlot I've been managing "removal of nonnative species but I also select for oak promotion in portions of it. I very much enjoy your channel. I would like to see you do a video about how the forest changes in different parts of PA.

[@thechickenwizard8172]

I'm on the west coast, but our oaks are also declining from things like wildfires, fungal diseases and lack of regeneration too. I'm lucky to have a huge, ancient blue oak in my yard, probably close to 250-300 years old. It's left several little saplings on my property, and while most dont survive ive done my best to ensure that at least a couple of them are cleared of weeds and kept in a good spot to grow up.

[@m0nkEz]

It's principally fire suppression that causes the decline of oak trees. Regular fires kill their competition but leave the oaks. Infrequent fires allow intense fires to kill even the oaks. So wildfires*, but not really wildfires.

[@shalacarter6658]

Are Eucalyptus a problem as well?

[@DeoFrutuoso]

Good wildfires are important for oaks. Lack of fire hurts them. But you want high frequency low intensity fires.

[@megangannon2894]

There has been fire suppression in the west for so long, with little push to reintroduce prescribed burning, that the wildfires burn so intense they are destructive. We need to push management to create a smart fire program and educate people on the importance of fire. I’m from the east but lived in California for awhile and I’ll say, I’d take the 2 days of smoky haze from the a good prescribed burn over the weeks of crap air from an out of control, overdue wildfire any day!

[@shalacarter6658]

@@megangannon2894 Sometimes, those of us who do not live in California wonder if there is anything left to burn,.

[@richardpeterjoseph1]

I have started to thin the meso trees where young acorn saplings are growing to give them light. I also have been planting buckets of acorns in my small woods. This was a good video.

[@1ntwndrboy198]

Forrest was greatly enlarged from the earthworm introduced in north america in 1615ad.. Jamestown had tobacco plants brought from Indonesia which had earthworm in rootball. They say it changed ecologically almost overnight 😮

[@sc1338]

So NA didn’t have earth worms until then? Or just not the same species

[@MrChristianDT]

We didn't have earthworms anywhere there used to be glaciers. They pushed all the top layers of soil south when they came in &, for whatever reason, no Worm species ever moved back north & repopulated.

[@darrylholcomb9076]

I bought a clear cut red oak tract in north east Texas in 2004. Red oak were 90% of the timber when cut, the rest were pin oak, etc. In the 20 years since, the forest has naturally regenerated to 50% pin oak, 30% red oak, 20% creek elm & other species. Tree heights now are 40' with 8" to 12" girth. Canker is present in some mature oaks. In an area known for pine there is merely a smattering here & there. Soil conditions in this small area favor hardwoods.

[@--Paws--]

This is like what happens to fire specialist plants like certain pines can overtake a forest compared to non-fire specialist species such as oak. According to one botanist, these trees can overgrow the other. If there are no fires the non-fire specialist will thrive; if there is a fire the fire specialists will succeed.

[@JenniferPeterson-oc2nj]

Yes, we have to actively manage oak stands. Here in Wisconsin, on state and county lands, we use 2 part shelter wood cuts combined with scarification and/or fire. Oak is thinned until it reaches 75-85 years old, then the first stage of a shelter wood is done. This requires marking the stand down to 30-60 BA. First, the stand is marked, then a dozer with a special blade attachment goes through the stand to disturb the soil. This part is done on a good acorn year, and we definitely wait until that happens. Then the logger can come in and harvest the trees. And we actually use a special paint color when we mark because we actually mark the good crop trees that we plan on leaving to throw out more acorns. Then, we wait anywhere from 5-7 years and do a seeding survey. If there are at least 10000 seedlings per acre, the entire over story is removed. Sometimes we wait longer, it depends on a few factors as to how fast we get good regen. Equipment and falling trees do not kill the seedlings. They will regrow. In fact deer can chew on seedlings and they will regrow. After the trees are harvested, the stumps will also sprout new trees. This is called stump sprouting. After having grown up out east, including Western Pennsylvania, I know our soils and most of our trees species are the same. Although I do wish we had tulip poplar here, it's such a pretty tree.

[@SunInTheBeeches]

Thank you for bringing this forward for us to learn.

[@SuperRobie691]

I'm a "land abandoner" with 36 acres of mixed old farm property and marshy woodland in the St. Lawrence Valley in upstate NY. Wife asked why we didn't have many oaks/acorns for wildlife. This year we went out to look (and swim through mosquitoes). Saw swamp oak saplings and one mid-sized swamp oak. Couldn't find the mature oak providing the acorns that produced them. After watching videos like this, I assume the tree may have perished a while ago. The woods are abundant with birch and cedar. Red maples found also seem to all be saplings. Should I progressively thin out some birch and cedar to let light in? I could always use some cedar posts, and birch does fairly well in the wood stove.

[@SuperRobie691]

The Ice Storm of '98 (look up Montreal ice storm 1998 if you aren't familiar) must have dramatically changed what trees remain abundant, but I'm not sure how.

[@GladiolaGirl]

Thanks for an informative video ❤❤❤

[@curtmorehouse1]

I bought my 33 acres in 2019 and have turned into a nature lover. I started collecting and planting acorns and now have several seedlings protected by fencing. Deer are the great destroyers on my land. I never appreciated the differences in trees until i had my own. Now I constantly try to keep things being replenished.

[@smeagolmazurenko5238]

I saw this dude leg-sweeping people in the moshpit of a Powerman 5000 concert back in 07. I'll never forget it.

[@trignog3000]

They were still around In ‘07? Good for them. 😅

[@herelieskittythomas3726]

Tree huggers get down at concerts, we have to unwind somehow.

[@BroncoBob3113]

😂

[@christophersimmons4272]

He was a force

[@heatherrobinson4460]

No kidding?!

[@blackburned]

Thank you for caring, let alone making this fantastic informational video. I will do what I can to help my local oaks, both on my property and elsewhere in my community if possible. They cannot go the way of the chestnut.......

[@docjohnson2874]

Can testify as to the mesofication of my forest in eastern Pa.....very wet last few years but my land is VERY rocky(scree... come visit the AT of Pennsylvania just above my cabin....terrible) and will serve to keep the ground drained...I'm concerned about all the dead trees that were killed by the laternfly infestation a few years ago....many wonderful hardwoods are now dead and falling....?to what consequence....inquiring minds want your opinion

[@flightrisk6176]

I’m in northern KY and live in an oak/hickory forest. Some of ours are suffering but we have so many new ones growing as well. I do see how it would be difficult for seedlings to take flight with all the shade from the other huge trees.

[@SunInTheBeeches]

We had our trees sprayed for spongy moth, but the damage is still extensive. I am hoping we don't loose our oaks.

[@teresawarnke999]

Get ahold of Tradd Kotter at Mushroom Mountain. He has a strain of fungi that specifically targets spongy moths and does no harm to any other organisms. DuPont corporation bought, copywrited, and then shelved the application so it cant be advertised as a pesticide, but no one can own mushrooms so you can purchase it. The company is in South Carolina, Tradd has a website with great educational content.

[@sting1111]

I agree. I am seeing the same thing in northern Ohio. We have mostly burr oak in my area. I am doing what i can to propagate them because the deer will not allow them to grow on their own.

[@zhippidydoodah]

Oaks in my NY area are dying as if they are drying up. They are covered with lichen, leaves brittle and dropping. A line of 7 trees was removed a few years ago because they were drying up and covered in lichen. These trees were along a river bank.

[@ceeshell1490]

Same in Florida. The trees sound hollow. Continuous spraying of chemicals drying up the land , day and night

[@bnalive5077]

They were already dying which is why that happened.

[@CarolKelly-t5r]

Because lichen is self-sustaining, it does not need to take any nutrients from the tree that it is on, and therefore is not harming the tree. Lichen is also found on rocks, the ground, even tombstones and statues. It just needs a place to grow.

[@miltkarr5109]

Glad

[@adammackerel4993]

Great video. Once again a level headed approach to a "problem". Confirmed all of my understanding from research and education that has suggested that oaks almost never comprise the climax species of a forest. Pre-European settlement eastern forests were dominated by beech, maple, white pine, hemlock... large oak forests did exist but in smaller numbers and as you stated, certain cultural and natural factors surrounding fire played a huge role in that. However, post - settlement, Europeans basically began clear cutting the forests and by the end of the 19th century second and third cutting forests were dominated by oaks because they favor sunlight. As logging and fire frequency declines, cherry, beech, maple... more shade tolerant species begin to take over. Thank you for mentioning mesophication and the importance of soils in determining species composition.

[@DragonflySigns]

My town here in north eastern NJ has so many huge oaks...I subscribed to your channel a long time ago, and was especially drawn to this one. Thanks for all your videos 😀👍

[@davids7799]

Beautiful forest you're in. Interesting presentation.

[@victorgreen9009]

In western NC. I've noticed that a lot of oaks and white pines are healthy looking, but suddenly fall over because the roots seem to have rotted away. Where I'm at, it's mostly oaks, and a few white pines, and ridges with Laurel bushes. A white pine fell across the road. And while I was cutting it up; I noticed that there was no pine sap. Like it was drying up from the roots. As if something was plugging up the pores of the roots. The pine limbs were dry of any sap. The oaks also are dropping at a alarming rate. I've heard that on certain mountain peaks, like out west, they were finding excessive amounts of aluminum dust in the snow packs, and in the soil. I'm not a scientist, but I've heard that it repells water, and and makes fires burn extremely hot. ** Or could it be that the Laurel bushes are changing the acidic levels of the soil? I don't know? I love your KZbin channel. Keep up the good work.

[@kooale]

Thanks so much for those detailed remarks Victor

[@MightyFineMan]

I have 11 acres of woods in the Hudson valley of NYS. My forest I undergoing this, but also being attacked by invasives. I have been actively fighting off the honeysuckle, multiflora rose, and bittersweet vines to get back some clear areas for natural new growth. About 40-50 years ago it was a cleared farm field and the ecological succession favored ash trees (now all dying slowly) as the first stage of succession. I am trying to speed it up by planting swamp white oak (25), bur oak (on the way), black walnut (6), a few ash trees (19), and some American chestnuts (3). No maples. Too far north for tulip trees. There is a forested wetlands area that has a few old oaks but they are being attacked by spongy moth catapillars. This area would become invasive brambles if it wasn’t for full time active management. I have dedicated my life to saving this forest. Open areas I am letting become meadows and sedges depending on moisture levels. Mesophication is bad, but the invasives are far worse. Both feel like an endless battle to save biodiversity.

[@jessemills3845]

It is Simple! You need LESS SHADE! then do SELECTIVE LOGGING of the area! It's called FOREST MANAGEMENT!

[@rosskstar]

Sound great but inept gubment put boot in way ~but the fires will return and inept government will be gone forever

[@interestedperson7073]

Selective logging only helps with one aspect. Fire helps with many. So sure log as you need to, but neglecting to allow fire on soil in North America is a recipe for disaster. Fire was the tool that shaped this land and we cannot forsake it because it’s scary.

[@SuperRobie691]

@@interestedperson7073 I live in wetlands and have no interest in contributing to forest fires on my property. But artificially, it helps to know I should clear certain trees for personal use to help oak growth.

[@alexw890]

Thanks for the concise and informative video. I have 10 acres that I’m trying to restore back to an oak forest/oak savanna. Lots of work. My problem isn’t maples, it’s invasives such as honeysuckle and buckthorn.

[@IsleOfFeldspar]

You didn’t mention oak wilt. That’s the reason the oaks are in trouble. Also unless a stand is being managed for timber profit, the best management is to leave it alone.

[@matthewdelpolito8297]

I disagree I manage my woodland for wildlife and diversity. We have many mature white and red oaks and while there are some younger oaks the understory is dominated by beech gum and maple and unless they are really nice mature trees I cut them down and bring the sunlight to the ground where there is an explosion from the seedbank also the smaller trees I drop protect the oak saplings from deer browse. I love seeing all the new species popping up everywhere and the existing shrubs are thriving and protecting the soil

[@CitizenAyellowblue]

You're not presenting a convincing argument at all.

[@NathanHarrison7]

I’ve lived in Northern New Jersey for 6 years now. And in that short period of time, I’ve noticed changes in the State forest that butts up against my backyard. It’s incredible how fast climate change is impacting the world around us. Thank you for your excellent video. Subscribed.

[@LearnYourLand]

Thank you for watching!

[@mojosinger7993]

We have lost 4 huge Oaks around our camp on the river. They are a hazard to the houses and worst of all, it is sad to lose them. I have been driving my family crazy because i seem to be the only one noticing how many trees have been dying around Pennsylvania 😢

[@kooale]

Same here in S. Wisconsin friend, sympathies

[@NanaWilson-px9ij]

I went to the local department of agriculture office and spoke to a forester. He said bacterial leaf scorch was taking out my oaks, first the red oaks, then spreading to the white oaks. He recommended logging my land before all the valuable trees died. I don't want to do that.

[@donnahudson4813]

2-4D and Dicamba

[@andrewlawrence9340]

I saw this yesterday and it really seemed relevant to me. I live on 5 acres in a heavily forested area of Fairfax County, Virginia. I just discovered a black cherry growing on the edge of my woods and have all the other trees you mentioned. I took a walk out there today and it’s exactly as you said. Tall oaks, dead oaks, many oak seedlings, no medium sized oaks, but lots of tulip poplars, American beech, maples plus hollies and one native azalea. Wow. This gives me a new perspective and I’m very grateful to you for this information. This land was part of a dairy until the 1950s. Probably had been a farm of some sort before then. But I imagine it’s been a long time since a fire came through. Now … what to do about it?

[@gwp1ohio]

SE Ohio, on our 50 acres. red oaks are dying...some type of borer. Ash, gone. Pignut hickory are dying, don't know why. Sasafras larger seem to be attacked by ash borer? All bark pecked off woodpeckers

[@frankiethefish73]

I'm having the same problem in NE Ohio. Limbs are dying on all of my red oaks. The decline has happened quickly over the past 2 years.

[@nobison6185]

Same in NC Ohio. Branch die back, decline, and eventually death. Mostly pin oaks.

[@danbaker3525]

Red bay ambrosia beetle kills our red oaks here in south east nc white oak and hickory can fight them off better and sometimes survive - the beetle likes to eat southern yellow pine as well

[@Rudolph-gc2bx]

I suspected the emerald ash borer killed my sasafras in Virginia too, about 5 years ago the same time the ash died.

[@donnahudson4813]

2-4D and Dicamba drift???

[@jeffarcher400]

When I see lots of acorns on the trail where they get crushed I pick them up and find places where water lingers after rain and poke them in the ground. Now I see lots of baby oaks coming up. I took some acorns home and sprouted them and have some growing in my yard now. They had to stay wet for quite a while before they cracked. Many on the ground had bug holes and would never grow so it's important to get underground before they get eaten. It definitely seems that oaks need consistent rain to get going but once established are drought tolerant.

[@ddaavvee68]

there is unrest in the forest there is trouble with the trees

[@surgery-tm4ln]

Certain Native American nations used to regularly burn undergrowth in order to allow oaks to flourish because they used the acorns as a food source. The open spaces resulting from burns also attracted deer who can easily run through them. So, it was actually human activity that made oak trees dominant.

[@paulwalsh2458]

Neil Peart wrote a song about this.

[@edstoffregen3623]

Studying ecosystem management and with my love of oaks this video was a good one to watch. Although no mention of invasives and their role on meso type forest changes. My woods is true to this theory, most understory is small maples. Hardly ever see a small oak. The land has changed over my last 40 years of observing. Still trying to come to terms with the how invasive honeysuckle has been to the understory, wiping out dogwoods, red buds, etc.

[@ishoulduserumble]

Your timing was perfect - I lost all of my ash trees to the borer about 7-10 years ago (eastern PA), real sad because there was nothing I could do about it. Oak however, maybe I can help. Got a bunch of seedlings popping up that I'll try potting up and moving to the empty spots.

[@micahlehmoine3493]

Harvest acorns and grow them from seed. Oaks are very difficult to transplant.

[@ishoulduserumble]

@@micahlehmoine3493 a lot of these are from last year's acorns I didn't pick up, some are sprouted in a mulchy area that i'm hoping will transplant a bit easier

[@odnetnin4720]

When I was doing tsi about 15 years ago in an oak hickory Midwest forest. The majority of the cull trees we where after ended up being sugar maples. They loved that understory. Some areas when we left where completely opened to the sunlight as mature maples had completely out competed all understory trees and most ground plants. I see the same with Bradford pear trees now, and honey suckle, can’t forget that old friend. I need to go back to those forests and check on them, but I’m afraid of what I might see.

[@deecarlock5781]

And periodic fires would kill those invasive species.

[@barbarajeanbraceletlady3090]

That looks like my back yard in NC.

[@Nembula]

I have a 100 acre tree farm in New England and I have created a white oak grove on my farm. It is small, about 25 trees, but it is a stand of oaks. It has the potential to feed people as well as to provide an exceptional wood to work with. When they corn I hope my children plant more. Planting an oak is planting a tree you may never sit under. Do it anyway.

[@MaxHeadroomMax]

Someone is sitting in the shade today because somebody else planted a tree a long time ago.

[@alanharvey1499]

Nice hard work Adam. I agree that it is a very dynamic and complicated situation. Thanks to modern humans. Extensive management🤔 $$$$? I’m with you, not sure if that’s the best action.

[@selfcontrol9982]

Thank you for your fact based narrative. We often are forced to make decisions blindly.

[@shanetheundertaker8474]

Subbed 👍

[@dougzirkle5951]

Thanks for the heads up, Adam.

[@christurley391]

Thanks again

[@joelaut12]

Excellent recap of what is happening to oak forests. Thanks!

[@davidmcguinness9187]

Thanks for the video

[@johnatyoutube]

Interesting video. I've shared it with my warershed stewards group on the Chesapeake in MD. I'm definitely observing mesophication in my area as well as sudden oak death. We're now experiencing sudden oak death in my community. We lost several mature oaks that were about 30 years old over the last two years. It's unclear if it is a single disease or multiple stressors together: heavier swings in wet and dry weather, landscaper use of turf herbicides and fertilizers near trees, lawnmowing equipment moving over tree roots, annual edging and replacement of mulch around trees, use of mulch from tree companies which might be from diseased trees, fungal disease, and insect disease. We've observed evidence of all of the above.

[@A3Kr0n]

The biggest problem is humans trying to fix problems.

[@campbellpaul]

...without sufficient enough information

[@interestedperson7073]

Those forest were built in part by humans who observed natural phenomena and encouraged that which was useful. The problem isn’t human intervention, it’s neglect.

[@clovergrass9439]

Humans have the answer. The abrahamic based rulers are anti nature psychopaths.

[@jrstsb1353]

Humans are part of the problem in the midwest, my land has highly invasive species, bush honeysuckle is pervasive. It chocks out everyday if land management isn't implemented. The parks departments around me have very educated people that understand land management, people are the problem and the solution.

[@kooale]

But first, creating them

[@phishfearme2]

i think you are REALLY understating the impact of deer - especially here in western PA. I fenced in 1/2 acre of my forest and within a few years there were MANY growing oaks AND MANY MANY OTHER UNDERSTORY TREES AND SHRUBS. the only change was removing deer. these oaks are quite healthy and growing well.

[@FrankMuchnok]

Sounds like a Canuck plot to cover the US with maple leaves to me ! 😉

[@christopherbright1048]

Aye

[@weesemay]

🤣

[@brob-zy8zi]

I can tell you that the areas I hunt and hike in SW PA mountains are full of all different age classes of oak. That is, so long as you look on the Southern to Western facing mountainsides and ridge tops. They get the sun and drying effect required for oaks to flourish. Northern and Eastern facing sides of mountains and lower elevations tend to be much wetter and tend to be dominated by tulip poplar, cherry, birch, and hemlock.

[@jonathanschadenfreude9603]

huh, great info man thx. The biggest threat to oaks where i live in Northern vermont is GREED/OVERPOPULATUTION and a general unwillingness to respect the land that gives these folks a place to live...its a chitshow now my friend!

[@TwistedRootsVanVelzerPress]

LOL in Vermont the short sighted say - I can do whatever I want with my own Property - and then don't consider the landscape and wildlife they "claim" to love --- they are so hateful to people trying to steward the land

[@Mistral434]

Sorry to hear that. Nothing makes me angrier than when people say “overpopulation is a myth, this planet could sustain well over 20 billion people…” God help us, if left unchecked we will end up destroying the entire biosphere.

[@bobdole57]

My property here straddles a mesic maple basswood forest and oak savanna. The difference between the flora in the 2 areas is pretty incredible

[@Bradwick1]

No one is measuring the aluminum particulate content being dropped from geoengineering jets daily.

[@Hydrophilic]

Excellent video. Sounds familiar to the Oregon white oak in much of its range. In my opinion, This is a land management issue…it’s also connected to the common environmental view of leaving forests alone to let them be ‘wild’ - the opposite extreme of clearcutting everything. Selective logging or semi regular burns would help manage for a lot of ecologically valuable early seral habitats.

[@hiromikami]

Oaks are my favorite

[@Mistral434]

White Oaks always felt like ‘royalty’ to me.