Oak woodlands, at least those in North America, need fire to sustain themselves. In the absence of fire, oaks are gradually replaced by other species of trees (primarily hackberries, honey locusts, and mulberries around here, different species in other parts of the country). Since oak trees can live a long time, this process takes awhile. However, after 100 to 300 years of fire suppression across most of the continent, the problem is starting to become acute. Time is running out for oak woodlands in many places. We can either choose to manage them in a way that allows them to generate a new wave of oaks or we can watch them fade off the landscape over the next few decades.
