Oak savanna
When you think of savanna, your mind probably takes you to East Africa and imagines places such as the Serengeti Plain with lions, gazelles, baboons, and other exotic species. But did you know savannas are part of the native North American landscape? In the Pacific Northwest, where conifer forests are assumed to be the natural habitat everywhere by default, oak savanna and prairie made up as much as one-quarter of the land area historically. These native habitats were maintained in an early seral state for thousands of years thanks to active management by Indigenous tribes.
Unfortunately conversion to crop agriculture, fire exclusion, and development have rendered oak savanna areas all but extinct in the Pacific NW, and currently only about 0.1% of the historic acreage remains intact. Sensitive species like the acorn woodpecker and western gray squirrel depend heavily on intact savanna and prairie for survival. The Nature Conservancy has placed Oregon white oak savanna on its list of Most Endangered Habitats worldwide, at number 4.
There is hope, however. Groups such as the Audubon Society, Greenbelt Land Trust, and Willamette Partnership work actively to protect and restore oak savanna in the Pacific NW. Programs such as the Oak Accord are pledging thousands of acres to the return of savanna and prairie on the landscape. More and more, fire management is being accepted as a traditional and highly effective method of vegetation control, habitat enhancement and fire risk reduction. Someday people in North America may associate savanna with animals like black tailed deer and streaked horned lark as much as impalas and giraffes.
Here endeth the lesson on oak savanna.
Bike Newbie 