ch are abundant on forest borders, damage some roots. Livestock inflict some trampling and feeding damage on young oaks.
The wood of Oregon white oak is dense, with specific gravity ranging from 0.52 to 0.88 when ovendry (66), has moderate strength in static bending tests, but does not absorb shocks well (47). It rates high in compression and shear strength and is outstanding among 20 northwestern woods in tension and side hardness tests (47). The heartwood is at least as durable as that of white oak (Quercus alba) (58). Pallets made from Oregon white oak compare favorably in strength with those made from other species (66) and are higher in withdrawal resistance for nails or staples (41).
Specialty items, fenceposts, and fuel are now the primary uses of Oregon white oak. The wood is considered one of the best fuels for home heating and commands top prices. It has been used for flooring, interior finish, furniture, cooperage staves, cabinet stock, insulator pins, woodenware, novelties, baskets, handle stock, felling wedges, agricultural implements, vehicles, and ship construction (60). Consumption of Oregon white oak totaled 12 454 m³ (2,185,000 fbm) exclusive of fuel in 1910 but has since declined (60).
Although Oregon white oak is not grown commercially for landscape purposes, scattered native trees, groves, and open stands are highly valued scenic assets in wildland, farm, park, and urban areas (35,42,49,56). Mistletoe is a scenic growth on Oregon white oaks that is collected and sold as a decorative and festive minor product.
Until recent times, meal or mush made from acorns of many oaks (including Oregon white oak) was a common Indian food (35,71,81). When crops were heavy, white oak acorns were also gathered and stored by local ranchers for feed, mainly for hogs. Livestock forage for acorns and prefer those of white oaks to black oaks (81). The leaves have a protein content of 5 to 14 percent (35,56), and Oregon white oak is rated as good to fair browse for deer but poor for domestic livestock.
Oregon white oak woodlands and forests provide favorable habitat for wildlife (6) and also produce substantial amounts of forage for sheep and cattle (33). Infrequently, cattle are poisoned by foraging on oak; one instance involving Oregon white oak has been documented (37).
Oak-dominated forests in the western part of the Willamette Valley in Oregon have a higher diversity of birds in all seasons than adjacent conifer forests (3). Oregon white oak and ponderosa pine-Oregon white oak associations are preferred brood habitats for Merriam's wild turkey in south-central Washington (39).
Greenhouse experiments have shown that Oregon white oak is a good host for the gourmet truffle, Tuber melanosporum (43). The feasibility of managing Oregon white oak stands for truffle production, as many oak stands are managed in Europe, is being investigated.
Though Oregon white oak populations in Washington are disjunct and scattered, the chemical and morphological characteristics of their foliage are similar (71). Genetic differences appear so minor that seed distribution from a common source by Indians has been postulated. Ecotypic variation was observed in top and root growth of young seedlings from seed collections made from Corvallis, OR, southward (43). First-year seedlings from northern sources were taller and heavier.
Quercus garryana hybridizes naturally with four other oaks. Quercus x subconvexa Tucker (Q. durata x garryana), a small tree found in Santa Clara and Marin Counties, CA, is noteworthy because of its morphologically dissimilar parents-Q. garryana is a deciduous tree, Q. durata an evergreen shrub, and the hybrid is tardily deciduous (74). Quercus x howellii Tucker (Q. dumosa x garryana) is also a small tree found in Marin County and a hybrid between a deciduous tree and an evergreen or tardily deciduous shrub or tree. Quercus x eplingii C. H. Muller (Q. douglasii x garryana), a tree with deciduous leaves, is found in Lake and Sonoma Counties, CA (75). Hybrids between Q. garryana and Q. lobata are also found in Sonoma Count