Oregon White Oaks

In Oregon, forests of Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana) are an endangered habitat. Less than 1% of pre-settlement prairies and savannas in western Washington and Oregon exist today having been converted to farms, urban areas, and other human development sites. There is no economic motivation to maintain oak woodlands, furthemore, invasive species such as Scot's broom, Himalayan blackberry, and false-brome reduce the survival and growth rate of oak seedlings leaving only mature stands susceptible to devastation by disease. The future of oak savannas and woodlands is largely dependent upon private landowners. The Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus), a species closely associated with oaks, is listed as a Sensitive Species in Oregon due to habitat loss and fragmentation. These images of the same oak, taken thru the seasons, are from the Finley National Wildlife Refuge near Corvallis, Oregon.