General Session — Abstract of Paper


Perspectives on Cultural Values of California Oaks
Paul F. Starrs¹


The status and prospects of oaks—those native to California and the many elsewhere—are insufficiently known, despite historical volumes of work done in the past and more ongoing today. That globally there is a blistering diversity of oaks in different environments, and put to distinct uses, is beyond dispute. Less agreed upon, though, is their complex history and the variation in the nature of the oak woodland. Because oak landscapes are so varied, and yet so ubiquitous, perhaps their one single shared feature worldwide is a multiplicity of uses. If individual oaks are cherished, and sometimes known by name, the larger woodlands that they comprise are ecosystems of formidable complexity. That is known; what is not is how best to value oak woodlands—and California’s in particular. Different attempts have been made; what is crucial to the continued well-being of California’s oak woodlands is coming up with some scheme that makes valuation credible, shareable, inclusive, and understandable.