Historical and cultural perspectives of oak trees in the American landscape

ABSTRACT

Over the course of history, oak trees have played a significant role in the natural landscape and built environment. While providing essential resources that sustain wildlife and even humans, they have aptly developed a legacy reflective of their importance across cultures. They inspire place names, emerge in stories and art, and appear on flags and coins. Their wood products, prominent in the architecture of ships, buildings, hand tools, and more, serve as a testament to their durability. Associated with qualities of endurance and longevity, the oak tree presents as a popular symbol. It is recognised as the national tree in the U.S., where oaks grow prolifically in a variety of environments. With such a reputation and many qualities resembling those of other desirable shade trees, oaks have become some of the most preferred, recommended, and beneficial species in U.S. urban forests.

KEYWORDS:

• Balanophagy
• culture
• history
• oak
• wildlife

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Brian Eshenaur, New York State Integrated Pest Management Programme, Cornell University, for a pre-submission review. This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture – McIntire Stennis Project #25, Accession #1000762. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture [McIntire Stennis Project #25, Accession #1000762].

Notes on contributors

Tierney Bocsi

Tierney Bocsi, MSc, is a graduate student pursuing a PhD in Forestry with the Rissman PIE (People, Institutions, and Ecosystems) lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her previous research has centred on urban forestry and wildlife. She is currently expanding her interest in the social sciences while working on a project about new landowner succession, outreach, and engagement.

Richard W. Harper

Richard W. Harper, PhD., is an extension associate professor of Urban and Community Forestry in the Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst. He teaches courses and administers an applied integrated research and extension programme in urban forestry.

Stephen DeStefano

Stephen DeStefano, PhD., is an adjunct research professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and was the leader (1999–2019) of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. He has worked on a variety of wildlife species and topics related to population dynamics, habitat relationships, and wildlife–human interactions, with a focus on the influence of anthropogenic factors (development, disturbance) on wildlife and landscape conservation.

Daniel A. Lass

Daniel A. Lass, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Department of Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research areas include the micro-econometrics of agricultural operations, farm production systems, and price formation.