SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - The Delaware Forest Service health team has launched a new study of White Oak Trees across Delaware.
The project focuses on monitoring White Oaks before and after forest harvests, to better understand how management practices may affect tree health. DFS is investigating sites where White Oaks are dying for unknown reasons. The goal is to identify possible causes of mortality, and help protect the species.
Bill Seybold with the DFS has studyed White Oaks since 2014.
"We've had some white oaks dying at Blackbird forest, so I've been studying them on a small scale, right there locally, to see what was going on in that specific area," said Seybold. "We're bringing in insect traps and sending them off to the labs to identify all the insects we can catch. We haven't been able to find anything exotic or new that's attacking the oaks in general, specifically the white oaks we were looking at."
White Oaks are a cornerstone of Delaware's forests, supporting wildlife, habitat diversity, and ecosystem health. To help, Seybold suggests prescribed burning, cutting small trees to make room for the small oak trees. Oak trees to do not regenerate well in a dense in a dense forest with a full shade canopy, said Seybold.
Through continued research, DFS aims to ensure these trees remain a thriving part of the landscape for generations to come.