1

WILLIAM B. LEAK, Research Forester, and MARIKO 

YAMASAKI, Research Wildlife Biologist. U.S. Forest 

Service, Northern Research Station, Durham, New 

Hampshire 03824

United States

Department of 

Agriculture

Forest Service

Northern 

Research Station

Research Note

NRS-161

Regeneration of 

Upper-Elevation Red Oak 

in the White Mountains of 

New Hampshire

William B. Leak

Mariko Yamasaki

ABSTRACT

Northern red oak occurs in limited amounts with a 

mixture of softwoods on the shallow soils at upper 

elevations in northern New England. Th ese stands are 

important for wildlife habitat and forest diversity as well 

as a modest amount of timber harvesting. Little experience 

or research is available on how to regenerate upperelevation oak. However, an examination of a 35-year-old 

clearcut on an upper slope of the Bartlett Experimental 

Forest reveals successful oak regeneration. We describe 

the species mix and tree sizes in the clearcut stand, the 

species composition and advanced oak regeneration in 

the adjacent uncut portion of the stand, and suggest 

methods for regenerating upper-elevation oak.

INTRODUCTION

Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) is an uncommon 

species in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and 

in other mountainous regions of northern New England. 

It is found in moderate amounts at low elevations, 

often with a component of eastern white pine (Pinus 

strobus), on the outwash sands and gravels in the valley 

bottoms. Past agricultural activity is partly related to its 

presence in these low-lying areas. However, the species 

is also found on southern to western exposures on dry, 

upper mountain slopes where the soils are fairly shallow 

with areas of exposed bedrock coupled with sections of 

deeper tills; these sites are similar to those recognized 

by Kabrick et al. (2008). Other species on these sites 

commonly include a mixture of red spruce (Picea rubens) 

and hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) as well as northern 

Citation: Leak, William B.; Yamasaki, Mariko. 2013. 

Regeneration of upper-elevation red oak in the White 

Mountains of New Hampshire. Res. Note NRS-161. 

Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 5 p.

KEY WORDS: northern red oak, oak regeneration, 

clearcutting
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hardwoods. Elevations range from roughly 1000 to 

2000 feet above sea level. Individual oak trees may attain 

diameters of 30 inches or more on these sites. Some 

suggest that the presence of red oak may be partly due to 

the past occurrence of occasional fi res on these dry upper 

slopes; through its sprouting ability, oak is favored over 

other species in areas prone to fi re.

Although these oak stands sometimes are not 

commercially attractive due to the shallow soils and 

diffi cult logging conditions, there is considerable interest 

in maintaining the species, or even expanding the 

populations, on these upper slopes for wildlife values and 

diversity objectives.

However, oak is notoriously diffi cult to regenerate even 

in its normal geographic range. Th e species depends 

on advanced regeneration prior to harvest. Acorn crops 

occur sporadically; most surface acorns are consumed by 

small mammals, and browsing by deer is severe (Brose 

et al. 2008, Marquis et al. 1976, Ward et al. 2006). 

Moreover, on the dry, shallow sites supporting upperelevation oak stands, there is little or no experience with 

regenerating the species. Th e gradual disappearance of 

oak on these upland sites becomes more likely since fi res, 

which still occur occasionally on these upper slopes, are 

rapidly extinguished.

Several of the upper-elevation sites on the Bartlett 

Experimental Forest in New Hampshire contain 

mixed oak-conifer-hardwood stands. One of these sites 

(Expansion Compartment E2) was clearcut in 1977. Th e 

harvest, a complete clearcut that removed most trees 2 

inches (diameter at breast height, 4.5 ft above ground 

[d.b.h.]) and larger, was about 40 acres in size and 

extended up into the partially shallow soils at an elevation 

of about 1800 to 1900 feet that supported one of these 

mixed oak stands. Recent examination of this clearcut, 

now 35 years old, revealed that it supported a surprising 

component of dominant oak in mixture with the usual 

early successional northern hardwoods. It presented an 

opportunity to determine, to the extent possible, the 

conditions that led to this success.

METHODS

In the summer of 2012, beginning at the upper end 

(approximately 1900 feet elevation) of a west-facing 

portion of the clearcut, fi ve cruise lines were run, about 

1 to 1.5 chains apart, from an uncut portion of the 

stand, just above the clearcut, down into the clearcut. 

Th ree prism plots (20 factor) per line were in the uncut 

stand, which presumably represented conditions similar 

to the those in the upper portion of the clearcut prior 

to harvest. In addition to a tally of the overstory (4.5 

inches d.b.h. plus), red oak advanced regeneration was 

tallied on four milacres per prism plot. If present, this 

tally was planned to include the smallest seedlings up 

through stems 4.4 inches d.b.h. In the clearcut, up to 16 

prism plots (10 factor) were tallied (trees 2-plus inches 

d.b.h.) per line at half-chain intervals down the slope; 

four were excluded due to a residual overstory. Basal area 

per species was recorded as well as the d.b.h. of all red 

oak and the d.b.h. of the largest tree of all other species 

in the prism plot. In summary, there were 15 prism plots 

in the uncut stand and 60 milacres, coupled with 70 

prism plots in the clearcut. Th e portion of the clearcut 

stand sampled was about 5 acres. Regenerated oak was 

still present below the study area (further away from the 

uncut stand), but in lesser numbers.

RESULTS

Th e uncut stand had an average basal area of 11 ft2/

acre of red oak coupled with 36, 43, and 27 ft2

/acre 

of hemlock/red spruce, beech (Fagus grandifolia), and 

red maple (Acer rubrum), respectively (Table 1). Th e 

oak ranged in size up to 24 inches d.b.h. (Fig. 1). Th e 

advanced reproduction of red oak under the uncut stand 

averaged about 480 stems per acre; most of these were 

about one-half foot tall; a few (approximately 83 per 

acre) were in the 1.0 to 1.5-foot range. Only 23 percent 

of the milacres contained any advanced oak.

Th e clearcut stand had an average basal area of 21 ft2

/

acre of red oak, coupled with 19, 23, and 17 ft2

/acre of 

beech, red maple, and paper birch (Betula papyrifera), 

respectively (Table 1). Th e most striking feature of the 

clearcut stand was the size and dominance of the red oak 
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Figure 1.—View of the uncut stand showing the size of the red oak. Photo by M. Yamasaki, U.S. Forest Service.

Table 1.—Stand characteristics of the uncut and clearcut stands in Expansion Compartment 2, Bartlett 

Experimental Forest, New Hampshire. Trees 4.5 inches d.b.h. and larger in the uncut stand; 1.5 inches d.b.h. 

and larger in the clearcut stand.

Measure Beech

Yellow 

bircha

Sugar 

maplea

Red 

maple

Paper 

birch

Hemlock/Red 

spruce Red oak

Pin cherrya

plus other All

Uncut basal area 

(ft2

/ac)

43 5 12 27 -- 36 11 -- 134

Clearcut basal 

area (ft2

/ac)

19 4 1 23 17 2 21 14 101

Average d.b.h. 

of the largest 

tree per species 

per clearcut plot 

(inches)

3.4 3.7 3.3 4.4 5.7 5.1 7.1 4.7 N/A

a Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica).

(Fig. 2). Th e average of the largest oak per plot was 7.1 

inches, while the largest beech, red maple, and paper 

birch averaged 3.4, 4.4 and 5.7 inches, respectively. Th e 

oak ranged up to 10 inches d.b.h. Oak was present on 

80 percent of the prism plots and there was an estimated 

112 oak stems per acre. Only one oak appeared to be of 

sprout origin (one double-stemmed oak), therefore, the 

oak must have developed from advanced regeneration 

present at the time of harvest. Only three large residual 

oaks were seen in the clearcut stand (not part of the 21 

ft2

 of basal area) and two large stumps. So, advanced 

regeneration probably was not plentiful at the time of 

harvest. Additional examination of this question seemed 

warranted.
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Figure 2.—View of the dominant oak stems in the clearcut stand, now 35 years old. 

Photo by M. Yamasaki, U.S. Forest Service.

Th e number and size of the advanced oak regeneration 

in the uncut stand (480 per acre, all no more than 1.5 

ft tall) appeared to be minimal—possibly too few and 

too small to repopulate a clearcut if repeated again 

today. None of the advanced stems were large enough 

to be considered competitive (either 3-plus ft tall or a 

root-collar diameter greater than 0.75 inches) under the 

best available rules (Brose et al. 2008). Possibly, there 

had been a decline in advanced oak regeneration in the 

uncut stand since the clearcut was completed. So to gain 

a better perspective on typical amounts of advanced 

oak regeneration, a survey was made in a small adjacent 

stand of mixed oak on another, nearby shallow site 

(nine 20-factor prism plots and 36 milacres). Th is stand 

had an average basal area of 22 ft2

/acre of red oak, and 

supported oak trees over 30 inches in d.b.h. Th e stand 

had an estimated 2028 stems per acre of advanced oak 

regeneration in the half-foot-tall range, and 389 that were 

1 ft tall. However, even though abundant, none of the 

stems qualifi ed as “competitive” under the rule described 

above. Milacre plot stocking was 50 percent.
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CONCLUSIONS

Apparently, it is possible to successfully regenerate red 

oak on these somewhat shallow, upper elevation sites 

with clearcutting (Kabrick et al. 2008) if advanced 

oak regeneration is present. Generally, there is enough 

natural disturbance at these upper elevations to provide 

small openings conducive to the maintenance of a 

limited amount of advanced oak. Small clearcut patches, 

removing as much understory as possible, should work 

as well as, or better than, larger harvests. Partial cuts/

shelterwoods probably would produce severe competition 

from beech. Th e site examined in this study had some 

rock outcrops, but seemed amenable to patch-cut harvests 

under current-day standards. Th e site should have a south 

to west aspect, and contain advanced oak regeneration 

0.5 to 1.5 ft tall. In laying out the harvest, target the 

areas with the most advanced regeneration. Th e required 

number of advanced oak to provide full or acceptable 

stocking is questionable: up to about 2500 stems would 

seem to be safe; possibly fewer would be acceptable.

If suffi cient advanced oak is not present in an uncut 

stand, but there are two to three or more seed trees per 

acre, it may be possible to encourage advanced oak. 

Possible approaches include underburning with a light 

fi re; some losses might occur to the merchantability of 

the remaining trees. Another possible approach would be 

an understory biomass harvest after seedfall with fellerbuncher equipment to remove the low shade, scarify 

the soil, and bury the dropped acorns. Some very light 

removals of overstory trees might be necessary to ensure a 

merchantable harvest, but even light removals will begin 

to encourage a beech understory.

Th is long-term example indicates it is clearly possible 

to successfully regenerate upper-elevation oak. 

Opportunities for additional research are certainly needed 

although long-term examples such as this are diffi cult to 

fi nd.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Th is early harvest was pioneered by Arlyn Perkey, former 

forester on the Saco District, White Mountain National 

Forest and more recently, retired from Northeastern Area 

State and Private Forestry. Arlyn also provided us with 

background details on the harvest. In addition, several 

of the White Mountain National Forest staff visited the 

site and provided useful suggestions on oak regeneration 

methods.

LITERATURE CITED

Brose, P.H.; Gottschalk, K.W.; Horsley, S.B.; Knopp, 

P.D.; Kochenderfer, J.N.; McGuinness, B.J.; Miller, 

G.W.; Ristau, T.E.; Stoleson, S.H.; Stout, S.L. 2008. 

Prescribing regeneration treatments for mixed-oak 

forests in the Mid-Atlantic region. Gen. Tech. Rep. 

NRS-33. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research 

Station. 100 p.

Kabrick, J.M.; Zenner, E.K.; Dey, D.C.; Gwaze, D.; 

Jensen, R.G. 2008. Using ecological land types 

to examine landscape-scale oak regeneration 

dynamics. Forest Ecology and Management 255: 

3051-3062.

Marquis, D.A.; Eckert, P.L.; Roach, B.A. 1976. Acorn 

weevils, rodents, and deer all contribute to oak 

regeneration diffi culties in Pennsylvania. Res. 

Pap. NE-356. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest 

Experiment Station. 5 p.

Ward, J.S.; Worthley, T.E.; Smallidge, P.J.; Bennett, 

K.P. 2006. Northeastern forest regeneration 

handbook. Bulletin NA-TP-03-06. Newtown Square, 

PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry. 59 p.
MANUSCRIPT RECEIVED FOR PUBLICATION 27 NOVEMBER 2012

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