Poster Sessions Concurrent Sessions Conference Proceedings Oak Symposium Home This paper was not included in the Symposium Proceedings.	Pre-Symposium Abstract of Paper The Distribution and Condition of California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii, at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Calaveras County, California Rhianna Lee Caltrans-District 10, 1976 E. Charter Way, Stockton, CA 95205; (209) 942-6012; rhianna_lee@dot.ca.gov The management of hardwoods in the western slope of the Central Sierra Nevada has been very slow to develop over the last few decades. Hardwoods found in the mixed coniferous forest zone between elevations of 2,500 and 6,000 feet are critical to forest health, and are key species for wildlife foraging and reproductive habitat. Fire suppression practices during the last century have changed the natural fire frequency and intensity patterns that created openings in the coniferous forest canopy (Leopold 1964, Barret 1988, Barnhart et al 1996, McDonald 1999). Without these various intensities of disturbance, conifers are able to top oak species that need full sun for growth and regeneration. The most abundant oak species in this zone, California black oak, has seen a gradual decline throughout the Sierra Nevada due to an increase in conifer succession, logging, and impacts of human development (Kilgore 1973, McDonald 1990). This study maps the distribution and records general condition characteristics of California black oaks throughout Calaveras Big Trees State Park (CBTSP), located 3 miles east of Arnold. Elevations range from 3,900 to 5,000 feet and represent average conditions currently found in the Sierra Nevada mixed coniferous forest zone where minimal logging has been done. A field survey records the location of black oak sites in densities greater than 10 percent, and determines other stand characteristics including average diameter breast high (DBH), overall tree condition, and fuel load estimates. An analysis of oak distribution and size ratio at CBTSP shows a good distribution of multiple-aged patches across the landscape (Cowan 2000). Due to the threat of conifer encroachment, however, the condition of many of the oak sites shows an immediate need for thinning. Lack of action will result in the substantial decline of oak distribution and overall forest biodiversity and health at CBTSP within the next decade. Recommendations for hardwoods planning and specific treatments for black oak habitat are also addressed.
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