Soil water effects on blue oak seedling establishment. In: Standiford, Richard B., technical coordinator. Proceedings of the symposium on oak woodlands and hardwood rangeland management

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of soil water availability on blue oak (Quercus douglasii) seedling establishment. Acorns were planted either into cleared plots of 0, 10, 20, or 40 cm diameter. The cleared plots were located in two grazed and one ungrazed site. Half of the plots received drip irrigation in a split plot design. Soil water and plot size, depending on the site, and initial acorn weight and parent tree all influenced oak seedling growth. Survival and height in subsequent growing seasons was dependent on early growth. Soil water availability in the first growing season, therefore, influences both oak seedling establishment and growth in sub-sequent years. Earlier work (Gordon and others 1989, Gordon and Rice 1990, Rice and others these proceedings) indicates that blue oak (Quercus douglasii Hook. & Am.) seedling establishment