The Status of White Oak (Quercus alba) Trees at the Gordon Natural Area, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Abstract

A field study was conducted in 2007 and 2008 to assess the population, distribution, size, and health status of white oak (Quercus alba L.) trees found in a forest at the Gordon Natural Area preserve in Chester County, Pennsylvania. A sweep survey was used to locate each oak, and then geographic coordinates, diameter at breast height (DBH), and crown vigor, were determined for each tree. Twenty-three trees were encountered in all, indicating a low density of < one tree per hectare, which was much lower than that of other co-occurring late successional species. Trees exhibited both clumped and linear distributions, likely resulting from acorn caching and past use of the species as a border around now reforested farmland. Trees were spread across most DBH size classes with a mean DBH = 57.4 cm. Most trees were relatively large and none occurred below 25 cm. Most trees were also healthy, though some were unhealthy. Overall, results suggest that white oak is an uncommon but widely dispersed species at the preserve, with a relatively healthy, but aging, population. Given these results, more studies of the species at the preserve are warranted, including new and periodic assessments of its recruitment status and canopy tree health, to better manage and ensure that white oak continues to have a presence in this forest and the region.