What's So Special About Oregon White Oaks?
What's So Special About Oregon White Oaks? It’s now estimated that more than 99 percent of pre-settlement prairies and savannas in Oregon have been converted to urban areas, farms, and other developments. In addition to urban development, yet another challenge to this native tree is the spread of invasive plant species. Diversity of bird species is often higher in oak forests than in adjacent conifer forests. Oregon white oaks provide favorable habitat to a number of important wildlife types, including the western gray squirrel, which is listed as threatened in Washington and sensitive in Oregon - and to many birds, including dark-eyed juncos, goldfinches, nuthatches, wild turkeys, and acorn and pileated woodpeckers. (From: What's So Special About Oregon White Oaks? Oregon Dept. of Forestry, Forests for Oregon, Spring, 2007)