Interested in White Oak Management?

Oaks are a critical species for our Indiana forest ecosystems. They support more insects and wildlife than any other type of trees. But our oaks are projected to become a much smaller portion of the forest if landowners and foresters don’t take action. If you are interested in encouraging white oak regeneration on your property, some helpful hints to get you started:

1. Talk to a forester about your objectives and get their advice. If you don’t have a forester, go to www.findindianaforester.org to see foresters working in Indiana.
2. Determine if you have a white oak site. While it is adaptable to most anywhere in Indiana it has preferences for slope and aspect and will grow (and regenerate) best under certain sites and conditions.
3. Identify the oak management practices that will work best for you, based on your objectives, time, and finances.
4. Consider NRCS cost share programs that can provide payments for practices that encourage oak regeneration.
5. Read the Landowners for Oaks Series from the White Oak Initiative for detail on recommended management practices. This series, made up of 11 publications, is geared toward landowners engaged in upland oak management with a focus on white oak. All factsheets in the series are available as a PDF for download at https://www.whiteoakinitiative.org/landowners-for-oaks.

Landowners for Oaks Series includes:
• Landowners Guide to – Challenges of Upland Oak Regeneration
While large oak trees are common in upland oak forests, over the last several decades there has been a noticeable decline in the number of young oak seedlings and saplings, indicating a problem with oak forests being able to regenerate themselves.
• Landowners Guide to – Sustainable Oak Management Practices
Maintaining healthy oak forests often means ensuring that oaks continue to regenerate seedlings and saplings, and existing oaks have room to grow. While the different species of oaks generally have the same issues and respond similarly to common oak management practices, these practices can be optimized to meet specific requirements for each species including white oak.
• Landowners Guide to – Understanding the Importance of White Oak
Not only is white oak an important timber resource, but it is also one of the most highly valued wildlife trees in the eastern United States. The use of oak-friendly management practices is a key element in ensuring that white oak forests continue to successfully regenerate and thrive.

Landowners Guide to Identification and Characteristics Series includes publications on: Black Oak, Chestnut Oak, Chinkapin Oak, Northern Red Oak, Post Oak, Scarlet Oak, Southern Red Oak, and White Oak.