Editing Quercus kelloggii

{{Short description|Species of oak tree}}
{{speciesbox
|image = Quercus kelloggii Las Trampas.jpg
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|genus = Quercus
|display_parents = 2
|parent = Quercus sect. Lobatae
|species =  kelloggii
|authority = [[John Strong Newberry|Newberry]]
|range_map =  Quercus kelloggii range map 1.png
|range_map_caption = Natural range
|synonyms_ref = <ref>{{ThePlantList |id=kew-173428 |taxon=Quercus kelloggii |authority=Newb.}}</ref>
|synonyms =
* ''Quercus californica'' <small>(Torr.) Cooper</small>
* ''Quercus sonomensis'' <small>Benth. ex A.DC.</small>
* ''Quercus tinctoria'' var. ''californica'' <small>Torr.</small>
}}

'''''Quercus kelloggii''''', the '''California black oak''' or '''Kellogg oak''', is an [[oak]] in the [[red oak]] section (genus ''Quercus'', section ''Lobatae'', series ''Agrifoliae'') native to western North America.

==Description==
[[File:Quercus kelloggii (bark leaf) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Leaf and bark]]

''Quercus kelloggii'' grows from one to several vertical roots which penetrate to bedrock, with large, laterally spreading roots extending off from vertical ones. It also has a number of surface roots.<ref name="FNA">{{eFloras|1|233501052|Quercus kelloggii|family=Fagaceae|first=Kevin C.|last=Nixon}}</ref> It can reproduce [[vegetative reproduction|vegetatively]] with new growth sprouting from the root crown after the tree is top-killed by [[wildfire]], [[logging]], [[frost]], or other events.<ref name="FEIS" /><ref name="FNA" /> While individual trees generally have a lifespan between 100 and 200 years, California black oak can live up to 500&nbsp;years.<ref name="FEIS" /><ref name="FNA" />

The tree typically grows from {{convert|9|–|25|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} in height and from {{cvt|0.3-1.4|m|ft|abbr=on|frac=2}} in diameter. Large trees may exceed {{cvt|36|m|ft|abbr=on}} in height and {{cvt|1.6|m|abbr=on}} diameter, with the record holder measuring {{Convert|124|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}} tall and {{Convert|2.7|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} thick (in the [[Siskiyou National Forest]] in [[Oregon]]).<ref name=":022">{{Cite book |last1=Arno |first1=Stephen F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qDD4DwAAQBAJ |title=Northwest Trees: Identifying & Understanding the Region's Native Trees |last2=Hammerly |first2=Ramona P. |publisher=[[Mountaineers Books]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-68051-329-5 |edition=field guide |location=Seattle |pages=234–238 |language=en |oclc=1141235469 |orig-date=1977}}</ref> The species also grows in [[shrub]]by scrub-oak form on poor sites.<ref name="FEIS">{{FEIS |genus=Quercus |species=kelloggii |type=tree |last=Fryer |first=Janet L. |date=2007}}</ref> In open areas, the crown is broad and rounded, with lower branches nearly touching the ground or forming a browse line. In closed stands, the crown is narrow and slender in young trees and irregularly broad in old trees. Trunks are usually free of branches on the lower {{cvt|6|–|12|m|abbr=on}} in closed stands.<ref name="FEIS" /> Trunks are often forked, and usually decayed and hollow in older trees. The [[Bark (botany)|bark]] is thin and smooth in young trees, becoming thick, ridged, plate-like, and blackish with age.<ref name="FEIS" /><ref name=":022" />

The [[leaves]] are typically {{Convert|10-25|cm|frac=2|sp=us}} long and deeply lobed, usually into seven portions; they are red and velvety when young, turning yellow-green then orange-brown in autumn.<ref name=":022" /> Blooming late in spring, the species is [[monoecious]], with male flowers in [[catkins]] and females in leaf axils.<ref name="tktimb2">{{Cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VLbAAwAAQBAJ |title=Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest |last2=Kuhlmann |first2=Ellen |date=2014 |publisher=[[Timber Press]] |isbn=978-1-60469-263-1 |edition=1st |location=Portland, OR |pages=195}}</ref> The [[acorn]]s are relatively large, from {{convert|2.5-4|cm|frac=4|abbr=on}} long<ref name=":022" /> and {{cvt|1.5|-|1.8|cm|frac=4}} wide.

=== Similar species ===
Its leaves (but not its fruit) appear very similar to several other members of the red oak section, including the red oak (''[[Quercus rubra]]'') and the black oak (''[[Quercus velutina]]'') found in eastern and central North America, despite being genetically separated from them for more than 20 million years.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

It hybridizes with ''[[Quercus wislizeni]]''.<ref name="tktimb2" />

==Distribution and habitat==
California black oak is a [[deciduous]] tree growing in [[California mixed evergreen forest|mixed evergreen forests]], [[California oak woodland|oak woodlands]], and [[conifer]]ous forests. California black oak is distributed along foothills and lower mountains of [[California]] and western Oregon.<ref name="BONAP">{{BONAP|genus=Quercus|species=kelloggii|date=2014}}</ref><ref name="s">{{Calflora|Quercus kelloggii|id=7000}}</ref> It can be found at altitudes of up to {{Convert|1800|m|abbr=on}}, for example near [[Mount Shasta]].<ref name=":022" />

It is found from [[Lane County, Oregon]], south through the [[Cascade Range]], the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]], and the [[Pacific Coast Ranges|Coast]], [[Transverse Ranges|Transverse]], and [[Peninsular Ranges]] to [[San Diego County, California]]. The tree occurs in pure or mixed stands. Pure stands usually indicate sites unfavorable to conifer growth or recurring disturbance such as fire or logging activities. The tree can grow in many types of soils, but they must be well-drained.<ref name="FEIS" /><ref name="s" /><ref name="BONAP" />

==Ecology==
The California black oak is a critical species for [[wildlife]]. Oaks (''Quercus'' spp.) may be the single most important genus used by wildlife for food and cover in California forests and rangelands,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/quekel/all.html|title=Quercus kelloggii|website=www.fs.fed.us|access-date=2019-05-27}}</ref> and California black oak occupies more total area in California than any other hardwood species. Livestock also make heavy use of this species for food and cover.

[[Image:Quercus kelloggii (tree).jpg|thumb|Young California black oaks]]

Older trees affected by [[heart rot]] have cavities which provide den or nest sites<ref name=":022" /> for [[owl]]s, various [[woodpecker]]s, [[tree squirrel]]s, and [[American black bear]]s. Trees provide valuable shade for livestock and wildlife during the hot summer. California black oak forest types are heavily used for spring, summer, and fall cover by black bears.

It is browsed by [[deer]] and livestock.<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitney |first=Stephen |title=Western Forests (The Audubon Society Nature Guides) |date=1985 |publisher=Knopf |location=New York |isbn=0-394-73127-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/westernforests00whit/page/396 396] |url=https://archive.org/details/westernforests00whit/page/396 }}</ref> Acorns are heavily used by livestock, mule deer, feral [[pig]]s, rodents, [[mountain quail]], [[Steller's jay]]s, and woodpeckers. Acorns constitute an average of 50% of the fall and winter diets of [[western gray squirrel]]s and [[black-tailed deer]] during good mast years. Fawn survival rates increase or decrease with the size of the acorn crop.

It is a preferred foraging substrate for many birds. All of 68 bird species observed in oak woodlands of the [[Tehachapi Mountains]] of California used California black oak for part of their foraging activities. [[Acorn woodpecker]], [[Bullock's oriole]], and [[Nashville warbler]] show strong preferences for California black oak. The [[parasitic plant]] [[Phoradendron villosum|Pacific mistletoe]] (''Phoradendron villosum''), which commonly grows on this oak, produces berries that attract birds, as well.<ref name="FEIS"/>

Many animals [[Cache (biology)|cache]] the acorns, and acorns that have been stored in the ground or otherwise buried are more likely to sprout than those that remain on the surface.<ref name="FEIS"/>

The tree is adapted to wildfire. It is protected from smaller fires by its thick bark. If it is top-killed and burned away in a larger fire, it easily resprouts and has a good supply of nutrients and water stored in its root system.<ref name="FEIS"/> Acorns sprout into seedlings after fire, and sites that have been cleared of canopy and [[leaf litter]] in fires are ideal for seedling success.<ref name="FEIS"/>

The tree is less [[shade tolerant]] than its associate [[ponderosa pine]].<ref name=":022" /> It is vulnerable to [[sudden oak death]].<ref name="FEIS"/>

==Allergenicity==
The pollen is released in spring and is a severe allergen.<ref name="pollen">{{cite web |title=California Black Oak (''Quercus kellogii'') |url=http://www.pollenlibrary.com/Local/Specie/Quercus+kelloggii/in/Santa%20clara%20County/CA/ |website=Pollen Library}}</ref>

==Uses==
Some California [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] prefer California black oak acorns over those of other species for making acorn meal. Historically, this acorn was a [[staple food]] for many Native American groups,<ref name="FNA"/><ref>[http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Quercus+kelloggii Ethnobotany]</ref> who usually leached out the bitter [[tannin]].<ref name=":022" /> Native Americans recognized the importance of fire to this oak, and purposely lit fires in oak woodlands to promote its health and ensure their food source.<ref name="FEIS"/>

The [[wood]] is used for making furniture, [[pallet]]s, and construction timber.<ref name="FEIS"/> The tree is used as an [[ornamental plant|ornamental]].<ref name="FEIS"/>

===Timber===
California black oak comprises a total volume of 29% of California's hardwood timber resources, and is the major hardwood sawn into lumber there. The total estimated area of species occurrence is 361,800 hectares (3,618&nbsp;square kilometers or 894,000 acres); 239,200 ha (2,392&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> or 591,000 acres) of timberland and 122,600 ha (1,226&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> or 303,000 acres) of woodland. Of this land 60% is privately owned, 31% is in National Forests, and 9% is on other public lands. It has greatly decreased from its historic abundance. This is due to a number of factors, including drought, disease, animal foraging, logging practices, fire suppression, and a variety of other human impacts. Cutting green trees for fuelwood has contributed to the decline of this species, and illegal harvesting of green trees from public lands is a continuing problem.

It was long considered by foresters and government agencies to be a weed tree. In its earlier years, its only use to settlers was to feed the boilers of donkey engines bringing in the valuable pine and fir logs. For a period in the mid-1960s, the U.S. Forest Service policy in California's National Forests was systematic extermination of California black oak by girdling the trees.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} The objective was to make room for more coniferous growth. In the rush to use the pines, firs, and redwoods, the dense hardwoods were looked on with contempt. Like a few other visionaries in the 1960s, [[Guy Hall]] thought the California black oak presented a beautiful challenge that deserved better than eradication. In 1965, Hall convinced federal agencies to cease their extermination policies.

[[Plantation]]s of California black oak have been successfully established in clearcuts from acorn plantings. Thinning such stands promotes stand productivity and wood quality, and is recommended when trees are from {{cvt|9|–|15|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall or when stand density (basal area) exceeds 29 m<sup>2</sup>/ha (125&nbsp;ft<sup>2</sup>/acre). This tree has also been managed for hardwood production by maintaining scattered pure stands within coniferous forests. Stands of this species often establish on poorer sites, where conifer seedling establishment has not been successful.

===Cultivation===
''Q. kelloggii'' is cultivated in the specialty [[horticulture]] trade as an ornamental tree for [[native plant]], [[xeriscape|drought-tolerant]], water-conserving, and [[habitat garden]]s, and various types of municipal, commercial, and agency sustainable landscape and [[ecological restoration|restoration]] projects.

==See also==
* [[Black oak (disambiguation)]]
* [[Mediterranean California lower montane black oak–conifer forest]] – plant association
* [[California chaparral and woodlands]] – ecoregion
* [[California montane chaparral and woodlands]] – subecoregion
* [[California interior chaparral and woodlands]] – subecoregion

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Further reading===
* Hall, G. (1998). ''The management, manufacture, marketing of California black oak, Pacific madrone and tanoak: A practical handbook on successful hardwood utilization in California and southern Oregon''. Western Hardwood Association.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Jepson eFlora|40652 |link=1}}
* [http://www.nativetech.org/recipes/recipe.php?recipeid=115 Nupa (Black Oak Acorn) Soup recipe] — ''from Tuolumne Rancheria''.
* {{CalPhotos|Quercus|kelloggii}}
* [http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/quercus-kelloggii-california-black-oak-native-range-map.php Interactive Map of ''Quercus kelloggii'' Range]
* Beckman, E. 2016. [http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/61982990/0 ''Quercus kelloggii''.] The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. Downloaded on 19 July 2017.

{{Taxonbar|from=Q693392}}

[[Category:Quercus|kelloggii]]
[[Category:Flora of the West Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands]]
[[Category:Natural history of the California Coast Ranges]]
[[Category:Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1859]]
[[Category:Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains]]
[[Category:Natural history of the Transverse Ranges]]
[[Category:Trees of Mediterranean climate]]
[[Category:Garden plants of North America]]
[[Category:Ornamental trees]]
[[Category:Drought-tolerant trees]]