"Oak Forest Ecosystems, Ecology and Management for Wildlife" ed. by William J. McShea, William M. Healy

This book focuses on the relationship between an oak forest's acorn yield and species of wildlife that depend on it.

It begins by treating factors such as oak distribution, forest fires, tree diseases and pests, dynamics of acorn production, and acorn dispersal by birds and mammals.
Special consideration is given to the phenomenon of masting—whereby oaks in a given area will produce huge crops of acorns at irregular intervals—a key component for wildlife researchers and managers in understanding patterns of scarcity and abundance in the creatures that feed on this crop.
Relationships between oaks and animals such as mice, squirrels, turkeys, deer, and bear are discussed, as are the differences between eastern, southern Appalachian, southwestern, and California oak forests.

Contents
Contributors
Acknowledgments
1 Oaks and Acorns as a Foundation for Ecosystem Management
Part I Patterns and Processes of Oak Forests
2 Distribution and Abundance of Oaks m North America
3 The Postglacial History of Oak Forests in Eastern North America
4 Fire History and Postsettlement Disturbance
5 The Ecological Basis for Oak Silviculture in Eastern North America
6 Native Diseases and Insects That Impact Oaks
7 Gypsy Moths and Forest Dynamics
8 Dynamics of Old-Growth Oak Forests in the Eastern United States
Part II Ecology and Patterns of Acorns
9 The Behavioral Ecology of Masting in Oaks
10 Dynamics of Acorn Production by Five Species of Southern Appalachian Oaks
11 Nutritional Value of Acorns for Wildlife
12 Acorn Dispersal by Birds and Mammals
13 Ecological Webs Involving Acorns and Mice: Basic Research and Its Management Implications
14 Acorns and White-Tailed Deer: Interrelationships in Forest Ecosystems
15 Oak Trees, Acorns, and Bears
16 Turkeys, Acorns, and Oaks
17 Squirrels and Oaks
Part III Management of Oaks for Wildlife
18 Fire and Oak Management
19 California's Oak Woodlands
20 Ecology and Management of Evergreen Oak Woodlands in Arizona and New Mexico
21 Managing Eastern Oak Forests for Wildlife
22 Goals and Guidelines for Managing Oak Ecosystems for Wildlife
References
Index