The Ecological Landscape Alliance will hold a Threats to Oaks and Saving Oaks from Extinction webinar on Wednesday, February 10th from 12:30 to 1:30 pm EST.
Oaks are sometimes referred to as the “tree of life” for providing food and shelter for a multitude of wildlife species. Murphy Westwood, director of global tree conservation for The Morton Arboretum in Illinois, refers to oaks as the “kingpins in the forest.”
But today oaks are in trouble. Razed to make way for crops, pastureland and development, and ravaged by fire suppression, climate change, diseases and pests, America’s oak forests are a fraction of what they once were, and those that remain are declining rapidly. In a recent analysis, Morton Arboretum scientists found that 28 of the nation’s 91 native oaks—or more than 30 percent—are of conservation concern. That percentage of at-risk species in one genus, Westwood says, “is seriously worrying.”
In this presentation, Dr. Westwood will discuss the economic, ecological, and cultural value of oaks, and will explain the threats each species faces and the conservation efforts underway to save them, including the establishment of the Global Conservation Consortium for Oak, a recent global initiative to coordinate conservation efforts across sectors and regions to ensure no oak species goes extinct.
This webinar is free for ELA members and costs $10 for non-members. To take part in the webinar, register at: https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-oak-red-list-project-main-threats-to-oaks-and-saving-oaks-from-extinction/