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SPECIES:  Quercus ellipsoidalis

Introductory
SPECIES: Quercus ellipsoidalis

AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Coladonato, Milo. 1993. Quercus ellipsoidalis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/queell/all.html [].


ABBREVIATION : 
QUEELL

SYNONYMS : 
NO-ENTRY


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   QUEL


COMMON NAMES : 
   northern pin oak
   Hill's oak
   jack oak


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name for northern pin oak is Quercus
ellipsoidalis E. J. Hill [21].  It is in the subgenus Erythrobalanus, or
red (black) oak group [23].  There are no recognized subspecies,
varieties, or forms.

Northern pin oak hybridizes with the following species [21,29]:

x Q. rubra (northern red oak)
x Q. velutina (black oak): Q. xpalaeolithicola Trel.


LIFE FORM : 
Tree

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Quercus ellipsoidalis



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Northern pin oak has a limited range; it is largely confined to the
middle and western parts of the Great Lakes region.  It occurs from
central Michigan east to noth-central Wisconsin, eastern Iowa, northern
Illinois, and northern Indiana.  Disjunct populations occur in northern
Ohio, Arkansas, and extreme southeastern North Dakota [6,10,23].


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES10  White - red - jack pine
   FRES15  Oak - hickory
   FRES18  Maple - beech - birch
   FRES19  Aspen - birch
   FRES39  Prairie


STATES : 
     AR  IL  IN  IA  KS  MI  MN  MO  ND  OH
     WI



BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
NO-ENTRY


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K081  Oak savanna
   K082  Mosaic of K074 and K100
   K083  Cedar glades
   K095  Great Lakes pine forest
   K099  Maple - basswood forest
   K100  Oak - hickory forest
   K102  Beech - maple forest
   K107  Northern hardwoods - fir forest


SAF COVER TYPES : 
     1  Jack pine
    14  Northern pin oak
    18  Paper birch
    19  Gray birch - red maple
    21  Eastern white pine
    23  Eastern hemlock
    40  Post oak - blackjack oak
    42  Bur oak
    43  Bear oak
    46  Eastern redcedar
    62  Silver maple - American elm
    53  White oak
    55  Northern red oak
    60  Beech - sugar maple
   108  Red maple
   110  Black oak


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
Northern pin oak is a common component in central upland deciduous
forest.  It is pure or comprises a majority of the stocking in varying
mixtures with white oak (Quercus alba), black oak (Q. velutina), scarlet
oak (Q. coccinea), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), or northern red oak (Q.
borealis) [10].

The following published classifications list northern pin oak as a
dominant or codominant species:

Classification of forest ecosystems in Michigan [26]
Field guide to forest habitat types in northern Wisconsin [19]

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Quercus ellipsoidalis



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Like several other oaks, northern pin oak can be used to make furniture,
flooring, and interior finishing.


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Northern pin oak acorns provide food for a variety of wildlife species
including gray squirrels, white-tailed deer, and blue jays [11,17].
Wood ducks, eastern kingbirds, and the federally endangered Kirtland's
warbler utilize trunk cavities of northern pin oak as nesting sites
[13,15,22].


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Northern pin oak is useful for rehabilitating disturbed sites.  It has a
deep root system, xeromorphic leaves, low water potential thershold for
stomatal closure, and the ability to adjust osmotically.  Northern pin
oak can maintain high rates of photosynthesis during drought and
survives on nutrient-poor soils [2,4].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Depending on the manager's objectives, a number of silvicultural methods
are appropriate for the regeneration of northern pin oak.  Clearcutting
is a good method to use if advanced reproduction is adequate to replace
the harvested stand.  The shelterwood system should be used if advanced
reproduction is inadequate [28].

Northern pin oak is susceptible to oak wilt caused by the fungus
Ceratocystis fagacearum.  The disease is spread from tree to tree
through root grafts and by sap-feeding beetles (Nitidulidae spp.)
[7,29].

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Quercus ellipsoidalis



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Northern pin oak is a small to medium-sized, native, deciduous tree,
typically reaching heights to 70 feet (21 m) [14,21].  It has an
irregularly shaped crown and low-hanging branches that persist for long
periods as dead stubs, giving a ragged appearance to the trunks [9].
Northern pin oak has a deep taproot and deep widespreading lateral roots
[4].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sexual:  Northern pin oak is monoecious.  Seed production begins when
the tree is about 20 years old.  Good seed crops are not produced every
year and in the off years many of the acorns are destroyed by weevils
[10,23].  Seed dissemination is by squirrels, blue jays, and gravity
[16,17].

Vegetative:  Northern pin oak sprouts from the root collar or stump if
top-killed or cut [25,32].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Northern pin oak is an upland xeric species that commonly grows on dry,
acid, sandy soils with a very thin organic layer.  It most often occurs
on sandy plains and sandstone hills, and develops into extensive pure
populations only on such sites [9,10].

Northern pin oak is the most drought tolerant of all black oaks [2].

Common tree associates not listed in Distribution and Occurrence include
eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), pignut hickory (Carya glabra),
shagbark hickory (C. ovata), and pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica).
Common shrub associates include American green alder (Alnus crispa),
lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), chokecherry (Prunus
virginiana), hawthorns (Crataegus spp.), American hazel (Corylus
americana), serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.), snowberry (Symphoricarpos
spp.), wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), and willow (Salix spp.)
[3,10,18,29].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Faculative Seral Species.

Northern pin oak is very intolerant and does not reproduce under its own
shade [2,26].  The other oaks with which it is commonly associated are
less light demanding and thus tend to succeed it.  Successsion is toward
a white oak-black oak-northern red oak and bur oak communities.  In
central Wisconsin, eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) is encroaching on
northern pin oak communities.  In parts of eastern Minnesota where pine
is absent, northern pin oak forms an edaphic climax on poor sandy soils
[10].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Flowering occurs from March to May.  Staminate flowers develop from leaf
buds of axils of the previous year, whereas the pistillate flowers
develop from buds formed during the current year.  The fruit ripens in 2
years; dispersal occurs from late August to early December [23].

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Quercus ellipsoidalis



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Northern pin oak is well adapted to fire.  The thermal insulating
properties of the bark of mature trees allow it to survive even annual
burning [24].  Smaller trees are easily damaged by surface fires but
will sprout vigorously from the root collar or stump after top-kill
[8,9].

FIRE REGIMES : 
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this 
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/root sucker

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Quercus ellipsoidalis



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Fire has very little effect on pole-sized or larger northern pin oak.
In eastern Kansas annual prescribed burning had very little effect on
trees larger than 10 inches (25 cm) d.b.h. [1,3,5].  However, 13 years
of annual burning in Minnesota greatly reduced northern pin oak
populations, primarily by killing smaller diameter stems [33].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Northern pin oak is generally favored by fire.  After an early spring
fire in northeastern Wisconsin, northern pin oak sprouted vigorously and
maintained the preburn density of 30 trees per acre (74/ha) [31].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Quercus ellipsoidalis



REFERENCES : 

 .  Abrams, Marc D. 1986. Ecological role of fire in gallery forests in
       eastern Kansas. In: Koonce, Andrea L., ed. Prescribed burning in the
       Midwest: state-of-the-art: Proceedings of a symposium; 1986 March 3-6;
       Stevens Point, WI. Stevens Point, WI: University of Wisconsin, College
       of Natural Resources, Fire Science Center: 73-80.  [16271]

 .  Abrams, Marc D. 1988. Comparative water relations of three successional
       hardwood species in central Wisconsin. Tree Physiology. 4: 263-273. 
       [15860]

 .  Abrams, Marc D. 1988. Effects of prescribed fire on woody vegetation in
       a gallery forest understory in northeastern Kansas. Transactions of the
       Kansas Academy of Science. 91(3-4): 63-70.  [10796]

 .  Abrams, Marc D. 1990. Adaptations and responses to drought in Quercus
       species of North America. Tree Physiology. 7(1-4): 227-238.  [14065]

 .  Abrams, Marc D. 1992. Fire and the development of oak forests.
       BioScience. 42(5): 346-353.  [19215]

 .  Braun, E. Lucy. 1961. The woody plants of Ohio. Columbus, OH: Ohio State
       University Press. 362 p.  [12914]

 .  Bruhn, Johann N.; Heyd, Robert L. 1992. Biology and control of oak wilt
       in Michigan red oak stands. Northern Journal of Forest Research. 9(2):
       47-51.  [18750]

 .  Crow, T. R. 1988. Reproductive mode and mechanisms for self-replacement
       of northern red oak (Quercus rubra)--a review. Forest Science. 34(1):
       19-40.  [8730]

 .  Curtis, John T. 1959. The vegetation of Wisconsin. Madison, WI: The
       University of Wisconsin Press. 657 p.  [7116]

.  Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
       Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p.  [905]

.  Fox, J. F. 1982. Adaptation of gray squirrel behavior to autumn
       germination by white oak acorns. Evolution. 36(4): 800-809.  [10518]

.  Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
       1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
       ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p.  [998]

.  Gilmer, David S.; Ball, I. J.; Cowardin, Lewis M.; [and others]. 1978.
       Natural cavities used by wood ducks in north-central Minnesota. Journal
       of Wildlife Management. 42(2): 288-298.  [13749]

.  Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
       Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. 1392 p.  [1603]

.  Hamas, Michael J. 1983. Nest-site selection by eastern kingbirds in a
       burned forest. Wilson Bulletin. 95(3): 475-477.  [11093]

.  Johnson, Paul S. 1992. Oak overstory/reproduction relations in two xeric
       ecosystems in Michigan. Forest Ecology and Management. 48: 233-248. 
       [18157]

.  Johnson, W. Carter; Webb, Thompson, III. 1989. The role of blue jays
       (Cyanocitta cristata L.) in the postglacial dispersal of fagaceous trees
       in eastern North America. Journal of Biogeography. 16: 561-571.  [11875]

.  Kittredge, Joseph, Jr. 1938. The interrelations of habitat, growth rate,
       and associated vegetation in the aspen community of Minnesota and
       Wisconsin. Ecological Monographs. 8(2): 152-246.  [10356]

.  Kotar, John; Kovack, Joseph; Locey, Craig. 1989. Habitat classification
       system for northern Wisconsin. In: Ferguson, Dennis E.; Morgan,
       Penelope; Johnson, Frederic D., eds. Proceedings--Land classifications
       based on vegetation applications for resource management; 1987 November
       17-19; Moscow, ID. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-257. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department
       of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 304-306.
       [6962]

.  Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
       of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
       American Geographical Society. 77 p.  [1384]

.  Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native
       and naturalized). Agric. Handb. 541. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 375 p.  [2952]

.  Mayfield, Harold. 1960. The Kirtland's warbler. Bulletin No. 40.
       Bloomfield Hills, MI: Cranbrook Institute of Science. 33 p.  [16778]

.  Olson, David F., Jr. 1974. Quercus L. oak. In: Schopmeyer, C. S., ed.
       Seeds of woody plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450.
       Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 692-703.
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.  Nicolai, Volker. 1991. Reactions of the fauna on the bark of trees to
       the frequency of fires in a North American savanna. Oecologia. 88(1):
       132-137.  [16715]

.  Nuzzo, Victoria A. 1986. Extent and status of midwest oak savanna:
       presettlement and 1985. Natural Areas Journal. 6(2): 6-36.  [19217]

.  Pregitzer, Kurt S.; Ramm, Carl W. 1984. Classification of forest
       ecosystems in Michigan. In: Bockheim, James G., ed. Forest land
       classification: experiences, problems, perspectives: Proceedings of a
       symposium; 1984 March 18-20; Madison, WI. Madison, WI: University of
       Wisconsin, Department of Soil Science: 114-131.  [12779]

.  Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
       geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p.  [2843]

.  Sander, Ivan L. 1979. Silvicultural systems for the oak-hickory forest
       type. In: North America's forests: gateway to opportunity: Proceedings
       of the 1978 joint convention of the Society of American Foresters and
       the Canadian Institute of Forestry. Washington, D.C.: Society of
       American Foresters: 344- 348.  [10025]

.  Sander, Ivan L. 1990. Quercus velutina Lam.  black oak. In: Burns,
       Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., tech. coords. Silvics of North America.
       Vol. 2. Hardwoods. Agric. Handb. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service: 744-750.  [19219]

.  Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
       Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
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       Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p.  [20090]

.  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
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       bracken-grassland. Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. 53:
       67-82.  [9142]

.  White, Alan S. 1983. The effects of thirteen years of annual prescribed
       burning on a Quercus ellipsoidalis community in Minnesota. Ecology.
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