Brush piles and mesh cages protect blue oak seedlings from animals

Weitkamp, W; Vreeland, J; Tietje, W

Brush piles and mesh cages protect blue oak seedlings from animals

Authors

William H. Weitkamp
Justin K. Vreeland
William D. Tietje

Authors Affiliations

W.H. Weitkamp is Livestock and Natural Resource Advisor Emeritus, UCCE San Luis Obispo County; J.K. Vreeland was Staff Research Associate, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, UC Berkeley, Vreeland is currently Master's Candidate. Penn State; W.D. Tietje is Natural Resource Specialist Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, UC Berkeley.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 55(2):23-27. DOI:10.3733/ca.v055n02p23. March 2001.

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Abstract

Oak tree branches piled over acorn-seeded blue oaks were tested as protection against cattle and deer. The piles remained in place and apparently free of cattle and deer for 8.5 years, until a wildfire destroyed the branches. Before the fire in 1996, seedlings in the brush had similar survival rates but grew significantly faster than seedlings with no brush. Seedling survival and growth rates declined sharply after the fire, although the surviving trees regained their prefire heights in 3 years. Cages made of aluminum window screening, as protection from small animals, significantly increased seedling survival and growth rates. Growth rates over the 12 years of the trial averaged only about 0.5 to 1 inch per year.

References

Adams TE, Sands PB, Weitkamp WH, Stanley ME. Oak seedling establishment by artificial regeneration on California rangelands. 1996. Proc. of Symposium on Oak Woodlands: March 19–22, 1996; San Luis Obispo, CA. p 213–23.

McCreary DD, Tietje WD, Schmidt RH, et al. Stump sprouting of blue oaks in California. 1991. Proc. of Symposium on Oak Woodlands and Hardwood Rangeland Management: Oct 31-Nov 2, 1990; Davis, CA. p 64–9.

Muick PC. Effects of shade on blue oak and coast live oak regeneration in California annual grasslands. 1991. Proc. of Symposium on Oak Woodlands and Hardwood Rangeland Management: Oct 31-Nov 2, 1990; Davis, CA. p 21–4.

Swiecki TJ, Bernhardt EA, Drake C. Factors affecting blue oak sapling recruitment. 1996. Proc. of Symposium on Oak Woodlands: March 19–22, 1996; San Luis Obispo, CA. p 157–67.

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