An oak savanna is a type of

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

(or lightly forested

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

), where

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

s (''Quercus ''spp.) are the dominant trees. It is also generally characterized by an understory that is lush with grass and herb-related plants. The terms "oakery" or "

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

s" are also used commonly, though the former is more prevalent when referencing the Mediterranean area. Oak savannas typically exist in areas with low

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

and feature poor soils. Predominant land uses include rangeland agriculture. Naturally, these savannas depend on natural wildfires (e.g. caused by lightning) to maintain their open vegetation.

United States

Although there are pockets of oak savanna almost anywhere in North America where oaks are present, there are three major oak savanna areas: 1)

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon in the west; 2)

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

and northern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

; and 3) the prairie/forest border zone of the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

. There are also small areas of oak savannas in other parts of the world. (See also

Eastern savannas of the United States The eastern woodlands of the United States covered large portions of the southeast side of the continent until the early 20th century. These were in a fire ecology of open grassland and forests with low ground cover of herbs and grasses. The fre ...

for information on pine savannas of the U.S. South.) Bur-oak-savanna-Wisconsin

California

A mix of grassland and savannas make up about 15% of California. Oak subcategories within the state are separated by region, with the northern type including garry oak (''Quercus garryana'') and blue oak (''Quercus douglasii''), the southern type including Englemann oak (''Quercus englemannii'') and coast live oak (''Quercus agrifolia''), and the foothill woodlands including interior live oak (''Quercus wislizenii'') and blue oak as well.

Midwestern oak savannas

The oak savannas of the Midwestern United States form a transition zone between the moist broadleaf and mixed forests to the east and the arid

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

to the west. They are found in a wide belt from northern Minnesota and southern Wisconsin, down through Iowa, Illinois, northern and central Missouri, eastern Kansas, and central Oklahoma to north-central Texas, with isolated pockets further east around the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

, including Ontario. According to the findings of Victoria A. Nuzzo, since there is much variation per state, other names used for the Midwestern oak savanna are oak opening, scrub prairie, oak barrens, and brush savanna. The

bur oak ''Quercus macrocarpa'', the bur oak or burr oak, is a species of oak tree native to eastern North America. It is in the white oak section, ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'', and is also called mossycup oak, mossycup white oak, blue oak, or scrub ...

(''Quercus macrocarpa'') is the dominant species in northern oak savannas, although black oak (''

Quercus velutina ''Quercus velutina'' (Latin 'velutina', "velvety") , the black oak, is a species of oak in the red oak group (''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''), native and widespread in eastern and central North America. It is sometimes called the eastern black oak ...

''), white oak (''

Quercus alba ''Quercus alba'', the white oak, is one of the preeminent hardwoods of eastern and central North America. It is a long-lived oak, native to eastern and central North America and found from Minnesota, Ontario, Quebec, and southern Maine south as ...

''), and Hill's oak (''

Quercus ellipsoidalis ''Quercus ellipsoidalis'', the northern pin oak or Hill's oak, is a North American species of oak tree native to the north-central United States and south-central Canada, primarily in the Great Lakes region and the Upper Mississippi Valley. It ...

'') are sometimes present. The dominant tree in the south is usually black oak, although the

chinquapin oak ''Quercus muehlenbergii'', the chinquapin (or chinkapin) oak, is a deciduous species of tree in the white oak group (''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus''). The species was often called ''Quercus acuminata'' in older literature. ''Quercus muehlenbergii'' ...

(''Quercus muhlenbergii''), post oak (''

Quercus stellata ''Quercus stellata'', the post oak or iron oak, is a North American species of oak in the white oak section. It is a slow-growing oak that lives in dry areas on the edges of fields, tops of ridges, and also grows in poor soils, and is resistan ...

''), and black-jack oak (''

Quercus marilandica ''Quercus marilandica'', the blackjack oak, is a small oak, one of the red oak group ''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''. It is native to the eastern and central United States. Description ''Quercus marilandica'' is a small deciduous tree growing to ...

'') are also common. The flora of the

herbaceous layer In ecology, stratification refers to the vertical layering of a habitat; the arrangement of vegetation in layers. It classifies the layers (sing. ''stratum'', pl. ''strata'') of vegetation largely according to the different heights to which their p ...

generally consists of species associated with tallgrass prairies, both grasses and flowering plants, although some woodland species may be present. Some of these plants can include white wild indigo plant (''Baptista lucantha''), purple coneflower (''Echinacea purpurea'') and pasture rose (''Rosa carolina''). There are also a few species that are unique to oak savannas. Some important species in the midwest oak savanna include a variety of bats, like the evening bat (''Nycticeius humeralis'') found in Missouri, and many types of birds, including the blue winged warbler (''Vermivora cyanoptera''), field sparrow (''Spizella pusilla''), and summer tanager (''Piranga rubra'').https://www.fs.usda.gov/nrs/pubs/jrnl/2017/nrs_2017_dey_001.pdf Oak savannas, because of their mixture of grassland, woodland, and unique savanna species, typically have a higher plant diversity than grasslands and woodlands combined.

History

Before European settlement, the oak savanna, a characteristic

fire ecology Fire ecology is a scientific discipline concerned with the effects of fire on natural ecosystems. Many ecosystems, particularly prairie, savanna, chaparral and coniferous forests, have evolved with fire as an essential contributor to habitat vit ...

, was extensive and was often a dominant part of the ecosystem. Fires set by lightning ensured that the savanna areas did not turn into forests. Savannas normally were found next to large prairies near rolling hills and this combination of habitat was perfect for deer, bison, elk, and other grazing animals. Only trees with a high tolerance for fire, principally certain oak species, were able to survive. On sandy soils, black oak (''

'') predominated. On rich soils bur oak (''

Quercus macrocarpa ''Quercus macrocarpa'', the bur oak or burr oak, is a species of oak tree native to eastern North America. It is in the white oak section, ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'', and is also called mossycup oak, mossycup white oak, blue oak, or scrub oa ...

'') was the major tree in Midwestern North America. These savanna areas provided habitat for many animals, including

American bison The American bison (''Bison bison''; : ''bison''), commonly known as the American buffalo, or simply buffalo (not to be confused with Bubalina, true buffalo), is a species of bison that is endemic species, endemic (or native) to North America. ...

elk The elk (: ''elk'' or ''elks''; ''Cervus canadensis'') or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. ...

, and

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...

. Research by Granado-Díaz, Villanueva, & Colombo (2024) on land manager preferences for environmental services in oak savannas offers historical insights into the evolution of conservation strategies. This study illuminates the critical role of managing

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the Canopy (biology), forest ca ...

vegetation for ecological health, integrating seamlessly with the natural

fire regime A fire regime is the pattern, frequency, and intensity of the bushfires and wildfires that prevail in an area over long periods of time. It is an integral part of fire ecology, and renewal for certain types of ecosystems. A fire regime describes th ...

s that shaped these ecosystems. These findings underscore the importance of preserving the intricate balance between fire, vegetation, and wildlife that defines the oak savanna's unique ecological identity. The understory flourishes from exposure, as the oaks tend to be scattered, making for a less dense canopy. Fires contain the oak population, as too much shade would eliminate the grasses underneath. The most fire-tolerant of the oak species is the bur oak (''

''), which is especially common in hill-country savannas in the Midwest. Bur-oak-savanna

European settlers cleared much of the savanna for agricultural use. In addition, they suppressed the fire cycle. Thus surviving pockets of savanna typically became less like savannas and more like forests or thickets. Many oak savanna plant and animal species became extinct or rare. However, a lack of generalized terminology or documentation in historical records has made it difficult to know about the past state of oak savannas. Fire-sav-S-slope-3720

Conservation and restoration

Large areas of the Oak Savanna are affected by

woody plant encroachment Woody plant encroachment (also called woody encroachment, bush encroachment, shrub encroachment, shrubification, woody plant proliferation, or bush thickening) is a natural phenomenon characterised by the area expansion and density increase of ...

. With the rising interest in

environmental conservation Environmental conservation may refer to: * Environmental protection * Nature conservation {{disambiguation ...

, restoration and preservation of surviving areas of oak savanna began. Low intensity, Spring-time

prescribed burn A controlled burn or prescribed burn (Rx burn) is the practice of intentionally setting a fire to change the assemblage of vegetation and decaying material in a landscape. The purpose could be for forest management, ecological restoration, ...

s have been used since 1964 at the

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve The Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is an ecological research site located primarily in East Bethel, Minnesota in the counties of Anoka and Isanti on the northern edge of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Name Originally ...

in Minnesota in an attempt to restore the area to an oak savanna. Burned areas are now more savanna-like, having greater grass and

forb A forb or phorb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in botany and in vegetation ecology especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically, these are eudicots without woo ...

with lower shrub and tree representation, than unburned areas, but still have higher overstory densities than apparently existed in pre-settlement times. Decreasing canopy cover density is a key part in these restoration efforts. Two separate studies done by Garrastatxu et al. (2024) and Encinas‐Valero et al. (2024) have identified the crucial role of fungal symbionts and the tree-soil microbial system in the health of oak savannas, underlining the importance of these factors in restoration practices. This insight is pivotal, as it highlights the interconnectedness of all elements within the oak savanna ecosystem, emphasizing that successful restoration efforts must account for the complexity of biological relationships. Similarly, the study by Hsiao et al. (2024) on the impact of vegetation and geology on soil nutrient storage in juniper–oak savannas emphasizes the need to consider soil health in restoration efforts. Restoration work in the US began in the 1970s in Illinois, followed by work in Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota. The Bald Hill Natural Area in

Corvallis, Oregon Corvallis ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Oregon, Benton County in central western Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton Co ...

, was established in the 1990s in part to protect oak savanna remnants. At one point in time the oak savanna was the most common type of vegetation found in the midwest, but it is now endangered with many ecologists every year working on replacing the oak savannas that have been destroyed in the past. For centuries, the issue of oak regeneration failure has been acknowledged. Historical records, such as French ordinances dating back to the 13th century, illustrate early recognition of obstacles to oak regeneration. These ordinances required the planting of oak seedlings to prevent overharvesting, given oak's significant timber worth and adaptability.

Current distribution

Pre-settlement there were approximately 50,000,000 acres of oak savanna in what is now the Midwestern United States, all of it located exclusively in a wide strip stretching from southwestern Michigan to eastern Nebraska, and from southern

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

to central Texas. After Europeans arrived, fire suppression and settlement diminished the oak savannas to a fraction of their former expanse; they currently exist in many fragmented pockets throughout their native range. Valadi et al. have explored the conflicting edge influences on herbaceous species in oak savannas, shedding light on the complex interactions that impact the distribution and conservation status of these ecosystems today. This research underscores the need for nuanced conservation strategies that address both the macro and microecological pressures impacting oak savanna preservation. Many sites are protected and maintained by government bodies or non-profit organizations such as

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in ...

, the Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Natural Resources, and the

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) is a statewide non-profit natural conservation organization based in Des Moines, Iowa with a mission to protect and restore Iowa's land, water and wildlife. The organization has protected more than in 97 ...

. In the midwest, about only 30,000 acres total of oak savanna still exist. The savannas that remain are fairly small at about 100 acres and this rarity has caused them to be categorized as “globally imperilled”. It is estimated that about only less than 0.02% of the original savannas remain due to human interaction and many organizations and conservations are prioritizing restoring and recreating these ecosystems in the midwest. Examples of remnant oak savanna include: *

Kankakee Sands Kankakee Sands is a complex of tallgrass prairie and oak savanna restorations and remnants in Kankakee County, Illinois and Newton County, Indiana. It is managed by The Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers. The Efroymson Restoration at Kank ...

preserve complex in Illinois and Indiana. * Iroquois County State Wildlife Area in Illinois. *

Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is a federal national wildlife refuge located in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. The refuge, formerly known as Walnut Creek, is named after Congressman Neal Edward Smith, who championed its creation. It ...

near

Prairie City, Iowa Prairie City is a city in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,700 at the time of the 2020 census. It is twenty-two miles east of Des Moines. History Prairie City was founded by James Elliott in 1856, for whom it was origina ...

. *

Indiana Dunes National Park Indiana Dunes National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in northwestern Indiana managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes Na ...

in Indiana. *

Hobart Nature District The Hobart Nature District is located in the City of Hobart, Indiana and includes over of scenic parks, wetlands and floodplains, winding rivers, peaceful lakes, open prairies, oak savannas, old-growth forests, and undulating ravines. The na ...

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

, Indiana. * Numerous State Natural Areas in Wisconsin. * Lake County Forest Preserve District in Illinois. *

Cook County Forest Preserve District The Forest Preserve District of Cook County is a governmental commission in Cook County, Illinois, that owns and manages land containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes. These land holdings are primarily managed as undeveloped nat ...

in Illinois. * Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve near

Darien, Illinois Darien (formerly Cass) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 22,011. A southwestern suburb of Chicago, Darien was named after the town of Darien, Connecticut. Darien is just north of I-5 ...

. *

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark Oak Openings Preserve Metropark is a nature preserve located in Swanton Township, Ohio, owned and operated by Metroparks Toledo. Most of the park is an oak savanna ecosystem, characterized by alternating wetland and vegetated dunes. The park h ...

in Ohio. *

Pinery Provincial Park Pinery Provincial Park is a provincial park located on Lake Huron near Grand Bend, Ontario. It occupies an area of . It is a natural environment-class Provincial Park created to help preserve oak savannah and the beach dune ecology. It has 1,275 ...

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...

in Ontario, Canada. Examples of restored oak savanna sites: * Indiana's Conrad Savanna Nature Preserve in north Newton County. * Oak savanna restoration project site on

Winchell Trail Winchell Trail is a round trip, pedestrian-only trail in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, that runs along the west side of the Mississippi River between Franklin Avenue South and East 44th Street. Popular with birdwatchers and naturalists ...

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

* Wisconsin's Pleasant Valley Conservancy State Natural Area. * Minnesota's Belwin Conservancy.

In the Western Palearctic

In Europe, wood pastures, semi-open oak woodlands used for grazing, were widespread and common landscape features across the continent during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, but have since declined. Traditionally, they have been considered purely anthropogenic landscapes, the result of human clearing of

virgin forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organizati ...

since the beginning of the

European Neolithic The European Neolithic is the period from the arrival of Neolithic (New Stone Age) technology and the associated population of Early European Farmers in Europe, (the approximate time of the first farming societies in Greece) until –1700 BC (th ...

. However, according to proponents of the controversial

wood-pasture hypothesis The wood-pasture hypothesis (also known as the Vera hypothesis and the megaherbivore theory) is a scientific hypothesis positing that open and semi-open pastures and Silvopasture, wood-pastures formed the predominant type of landscape in Holocen ...

, they can be viewed as functional analogs to the oak savannas that may have naturally covered large parts of Europe during the early

Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...

. After the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

and the accompanying intensification of land use, they became rarer and were displaced by forests, open croplands, pastures, and meadows. Today, they are largely confined to small patches in western and central Europe, while intact forest pastures are still found in eastern Europe, especially Romania. In the Mediterranean region, oak savannas are still widespread, especially on the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

In the Mediterranean

In the Western Mediterranean, oak savannas, known as ''dehesas'' in Spanish and ''montados'' in Portuguese, are at present widespread, concentrated in Southern Portugal, the

Extremadura Extremadura ( ; ; ; ; Fala language, Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is a landlocked autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, Spain, Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central- ...

and

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

. They are actively managed and used for the production of

cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

and as pastures for Spanish fighting bulls and the

black Iberian pig The Iberian pig, also known in Portugal as the Alentejo Pig, is a traditional breed of the domestic pig (''Sus scrofa domesticus'') that is native to the Iberian Peninsula. The Iberian pig, whose origins can probably be traced back to the Neoli ...

for the production of ''

Jamón ibérico Jamón ibérico (; Spanish for "Iberian Ham"), known in Portuguese as presunto ibérico (), is a variety of ''jamón'' or ''presunto'', a type of Curing (food preservation), cured leg of pork (primarily Black Iberian pigs) produced in Spain and P ...

'', among other uses. The main tree components are ballota oak (''

Quercus rotundifolia ''Quercus rotundifolia'', the holm oak or ballota oak, is an evergreen oak native to the western Mediterranean region, with the majority of the population in the Iberian Peninsula and minor populations in Northwest Africa. The species was firs ...

'') and cork oak (''

Quercus suber ''Quercus suber'', commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the core ...

''), but Portuguese oak (''

Quercus faginea ''Quercus faginea'', the Portuguese oak, is a species of oak native to the western Mediterranean region in the Iberian Peninsula. Similar trees in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa are usually included in this species, or sometimes treate ...

'') and Pyrenean oak (''

Quercus pyrenaica ''Quercus pyrenaica'', also known as Pyrenean oak, or Spanish oak is a tree native to southwestern Europe and northwestern North Africa. Despite its common name, it is rarely found in the Pyrenees Mountains and is more abundant in northern Portu ...

'') may also be common. Other oak species found in the area include Mirbeck's oak (''

Quercus canariensis ''Quercus canariensis'', the Algerian oak, Mirbeck's oak or zean oak, is an oak native to southern Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Despite the scientific name, it does not occur naturally today in the Canary Islands. It is placed i ...

''), downy oak (''

Quercus pubescens ''Quercus pubescens'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonyms ''virgiliana''), commonly known as the downy oak, pubescent oak or Italian oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia. It ...

''), pedunculate oak (''

Quercus robur ''Quercus robur'', the pedunculate oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe and western Asia, and is widely cultivated in other temperate regions. It ...

''), sessile oak (''

Quercus petraea ''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Welsh oak, Cornish oak, Irish oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an un ...

''), ''

Quercus estremadurensis ''Quercus estremadurensis'' is a species of oak in the family Fagaceae, native to Portugal, western Spain and Morocco. It was first described by Otto Karl Anton Schwarz in 1935. It has also been treated as a subspecies of ''Quercus robur'', ''Q. ...

'',

Quercus × cerrioides ''Quercus'' × ''cerrioides'' is a hybrid oak species in the family Fagaceae. The tree is endemic to Spain. It is a conservation dependent plant threatened by habitat loss. Its parent are '' Q. canariensis'' and '' Q. pubescens'' subsp. ''subpyre ...

, kermes oak (''

Quercus coccifera ''Quercus coccifera'', the kermes oak or commonly known as Palestine oak, is an oak shrub or tree in section '' Ilex'' of the genus. It has many synonyms, including ''Quercus calliprinos''. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern ...

'') and Lusitanian oak (''

Quercus lusitanica ''Quercus lusitanica'', commonly known as gall oak, Lusitanian oak, or dyer's oak, is a species of oak native to Portugal, Spain ( Galicia and western Andalucia) and Morocco. ''Quercus lusitanica'' is the source of commercial nutgalls. These gal ...

''). In the

Eastern Mediterranean The Eastern Mediterranean is a loosely delimited region comprising the easternmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, and well as the adjoining land—often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It includes the southern half of Turkey ...

, oak rangelands are still common landscape elements in Greece,

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

and the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

. They are formed by a number of oak species, including pedunculate oak (''

''), sessile oak (''

'' subsp. ''polycarpa''), downy oak (''

''), Hungarian oak (''

Quercus frainetto ''Quercus frainetto'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonyms ''Quercus conferta'', ''Quercus farnetto''), commonly known as the Hungarian oak, is a species of oak, native plant, native to southeastern Europe (parts of Italy, the Balkans, parts of Hungary, ...

''), ''

Quercus dalechampii ''Quercus dalechampii'' is a European species of oak in the family Fagaceae. It is native to southeastern Europe: Bulgaria, Greece and the rest of the Balkan Peninsula, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic The Czech R ...

,'' Strandzha oak (''

Quercus hartwissiana ''Quercus hartwissiana'', the Strandzha oak (), is a species of oak, native plant, native to southeastern Bulgaria, northern Asia Minor along the Black Sea, and the Caucasus. It was described by the Finnish-born Russian botanist and entomologist ...

''), Austrian oak (''

Quercus cerris ''Quercus cerris'', the Turkey oak or Austrian oak, is an oak native to south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the type species of ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris'', a section of the genus characterised by shoot buds surrounded by soft bristles, ...

''), Macedonian oak (''

Quercus trojana ''Quercus trojana'', the Macedonian oak, is a species of plant in the oak and beech family (Fagaceae). It is native to southeast Europe and southwest Asia, and is placed in the turkey oak section ( ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''). Description '' ...

''), holly oak (''

Quercus ilex ''Quercus ilex'', the holly oak, also (ambiguously, as many oaks are evergreen) evergreen oak, is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the section (botany), section ''List of Quercus species#Section Ilex, Il ...

''), Kasnak oak ('' Quercus vulcanica''), Aleppo oak (''

Quercus infectoria ''Quercus infectoria'' or the Aleppo oak is a species of oak well known for producing galls (called manjakani in Malaysia, majuphal in India) that have been traditionally used for centuries in Asia medicinally while also used in softening leather ...

''), Lebanon oak (''

Quercus libani ''Quercus libani'', the Lebanon oak, is a species of oak native to the eastern Mediterranean in western Asia, including in western Syria, northeastern Israel, eastern Turkey, and northern Iraq and Iran. Despite the name, the species is not presen ...

),'' Tabor oak (''

Quercus ithaburensis ''Quercus ithaburensis'', the Mount Tabor oak, is a tree in the beech family Fagaceae. It is found from southeastern Italy to the Levant. It is the national tree of Jordan. Two subspecies are accepted, ''Quercus ithaburensis'' subsp. ''ithaburens ...

''), Valonia oak ('' Quercus ithaburensis'' subsp. ''macrolepis''), Brant's oak (''

Quercus brantii ''Quercus brantii'', Brant's oak, is a species of oak native to Western Asia, mainly in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively s ...

''), '' Quercus aucheri'', '' Quercus look'' and kermes oak (''

'').

References

External links

* *
Oak Savannas: Characteristics, Restoration, and Long-Term Management

Oak Savannah
Documentary produced by

Oregon Field Guide ''Oregon Field Guide'' is a weekly television program produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting focusing on recreation, the outdoors, and environmental issues in the state of Oregon. The show has become part of the Oregon zeitgeist. Steve Amen is th ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oak Savanna California chaparral and woodlands Grasslands Plant communities of California Plant communities of the Western United States

Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands