Arkansas Upland Oak Experience: The Effectiveness of Partnerships
Fossil pollen records depict the forests of the Ozark Highland as being dominated by oaks (Quercus spp.) for the last 4,000 years. Early explorers and naturalists from Desoto to Schoolcraft left written records of forest conditions and the impact of anthropogenic influences such as fire and the use of forest products on the upland landscapes. Fire scar studies from Missouri and Arkansas confirm these influences and report average historical fire intervals of <15 years from the mid 1600s through the early 1800s. The turn of the 20th century spawned drastic changes in disturbance regimes...
