Figure 4. An example of an invaded canopy gap in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, New York. Invasive plant
species respond to additional light, preventing native tree regeneration from occurring.
Managing for Oak in the
City: Key Considerations
• Increase or utilize the light
that reaches the forest floor
to create conditions that
support the establishment of
oak seedlings and saplings.
• Maintain deer-exclusion fencing
until trees are well established.
• Encourage natural regeneration
by managing invasive plants.
In urban forested natural areas these gaps are areas of concern
due to the lack of native tree regeneration coupled with invasive
vegetation that responds rapidly to the increased light (Figure 4).
In addition to questions about light avail-
ability, our research will strive to answer other key
questions about oak establishment such as:
• Will trees from parents growing in warmer climates be better
adapted to warmer environments in cities or in the future?
(Many oak species can live for several hundred years.)
• How can we help our forest management partners
scale this work so they can use what we learn to make
their urban forested natural areas more resilient?
• Can what we learn in urban oak forest restoration be used to
help make rural oak forests sustainable in a changing climate?
This applied research project has the potential to inform both
urban and rural forest managers as they strive to create climate
resilient oak forests. In rural forests, this means a continued
supply of oak wood products that is critical to local economies.
In urban areas, these techniques, we hope, will serve to sustain
urban forested natural areas for future generations to enjoy.
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