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Why Oaks?

Oaks in the Klamath Siskiyou Bioregion…

What makes them so special?

table rocks_why oaks TNC 72ppi

  • Oak habitats contain a diversity of vegetation types, including woodland, chaparral, and mixed oak/conifer
  • Oak habitats are some of the most biodiverse habitats in southern Oregon and northern California (many endemic plants, and more than 300 vertebrate species)
  • Oak woodlands are an Oregon Conservation Strategy Habitat (ODFW 2006)
  • Oaks provided critical physical and cultural resources for native people
  • Oak are fire-adapted and was maintained using burning as a management tool
  • A mosaic of oak vegetation provides fire resilience to the landscape
  • Oak woodlands have experienced losses up to 33% in California and up to 95% in Oregon
  • Threats include conifer encroachment, oak densification, intense fire, overgrazing, invasive exotic species, development and fragmentation
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