Invasive Alien Species in Belgium: Quercus rubra

Naturalization in Belgium

First observation in the wild:	1950
Invasion stage:	spread
Spatial distribution:	widespread

Invasiveness

Reproduction in the wild:	yes
Dispersion potential:	medium
Natural habitats:	likely

More on invasiveness: Often planted in parks and woods, Quercus rubra grows on a variety of dry-mesic to mesic sites; it occurs in rich, mesic woods, on sandy plains, rock outcrops and at the outer edges of floodplains. It is intermediate in shade tolerance and is generally considered a midseral species, but its successional status is poorly known. It is generally unable to establish beneath its own canopy. In Lithuania, red oak seedlings have been reported to spread successfully over distances exceeding 300 meters from the parent trees. Its potential to colonise semi-natural habitats through long-distance dispersal is however uncertain in Belgian eco-climatic conditions.

Distribution in Belgium

Established populations Biogeographic areas where the species is known to be established in the wild

	absent from district
	isolated populations (1-5 localities per district)
	widespread (>5 localities per district)

Endangered areas Biogeographic areas including Natura 2000 habitats that are likely to be invaded by the species (occurence of dense populations)

Biogeographic areas including Natura 2000 habitats that are likely to be invaded by the species (occurence of dense populations)

	low risk
	medium risk
	high risk

Endangered Natura 2000 habitats (

forest habitats:

9120 9190

Impacts on Species

Predation / Herbivory:	low
Competition:	high
Disease transmission:	low
Genetic effects:	low

Impacts on Ecosystems

Nutrient cycling:	high
Physical alteration:	likely
Natural successions:	likely
Food web alteration:	low

More on impacts: Where planted, red oak recruitment rate is very high and young trees can form a dense understorey excluding ground vegetation and other tree species. Exclusion of ferns and grasses is favoured by the release of allelochemicals by leaves and roots. It is favoured over other tree species by heavy cutting because of its sprouting ability. Red oak is characterised by a species-poor phytophagous and saproxylic community in comparison to native oaks. Litter is hardly degraded and favours soil acidification. The species has also been reported to accelerate colonisation of open habitats near forest edges.

Data Source & References

Authors:	Branquart Etienne, Vanderhoeven Sonia, Van Landuyt Wouter, Van Rossum Fabienne, Verloove Filip
Published on:	04 December 2007
Last update:	12 October 2012

References:

AEF (2006)

Cartes provisoires de la distribution de néophytes en Wallonie.

Unpublished document.

Adamowski, W. (2002)

Invasion of red oak Quercus rubra in Białowieża Forest (NE Poland)

In: Biological Invasions: Challenges for Science. Proceedings of 2nd International Conference of the German Working Group on Biological Invasions, UFZ - Centre for Environmental Research, p. 16.

Adamowski, W. Mędrzycki, P. et Łuczaj, Ł. (1998)

The penetration of alien woody species into plant communities of BiałowieŜa Forest: the role of biological properties and human activities.

Phytocoenosis 10(N.S.) Suppl. Cartogr. Geobot. 9: 211-228.

Chmura, D. (2004)

Penetration and naturalisation of invasive alien plant species (Neophytes) in woodlands of the Silesian upland (Southern Poland).

Nature Conservation 60: 3-11

Chmura, D. (2013)

Impact of alien tree species Quercus rubra L. on understorey environment and flora: a study of the Silesian upland (Southern Poland).

Polish Journal of Ecology 61: 431-442.

Crow, T. R. (1988)

Reproductive Mode and Mechanisms for Self-Replacement of Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) - A Review.

Forest Science 34: 19-40.

Dressel, R. & Jäger, E.J. (2002)

Beiträge zur Biologie der Gefäßpflanzen des herzynischen Raumes. 5. Quercus rubra L. (Roteiche) : Lebensgeschichte und agriophytische Ausbreitung im Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz.

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Gossner M. (2004)

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Ph D thesis, Technischen Universität München.

Jones, F.A., Hamrick, J.L., Peterson, C.J. & Squiers, E.R. (2006)

Inferring colonization history from analyses of spatial genetic structure within populations of Pinus strobus and Quercus rubra.

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Major, K.C., Nosko, P., Kuehne, C., Campbell, D. & Bauhus, J. (2013)

Regeneration dynamics of non-native northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.)populations as influenced by environmental factors: A case study in managed hardwood forests of southwestern Germany.

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Marozas, V., Straigyte, L. & Sepetiene, J. (2009)

Comparative analysis of alien oak (Quercus rubra L.) and native common oak (Quercus robur L.) vegetation in Lithuania.

Acta Biol. Univ. Daugavp. 9 (1): 19 - 24.

Meiners, S.J. & Martinkovic, M.J. (2002)

Survival of and Herbivore Damage to a Cohort of Quercus rubra Planted Across a Forest-Old-field Edge.

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Möllerová, J. (2005)

Notes on invasive and expansive trees and shrubs.

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Ozolinčius, R. (2010)

Climate change and the sustainability forest ecosystems of Lithuania: literature review.

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Riepšas, E. & Straigyte, L. (2008)

Invasiveness and ecological effects of red oak (Quercus rubra L.) in Lithuanian forests.

Baltic Forestry 14(2): 122-130.

Starfinger, U. & Kowarik, I. (2007)

Quercus rubra (Fagaceae), Rot-Eiche.

From online Neoflora database, Invasive gebietsfremde Pflanzen in Deutschland (Floraweb).

Straigyte, L. & Zalkauskas, R. (2006)

Red oak (Quercus rubra L.) condition and morphological traits differences in Southern Lithuanian forest.

Acta Biol. Univ. Daugavp. 6 (1-2): 135-140.

Straigyte, L. & Žalkauskas, R. (2012)

Effect of climate variability on Quercus rubra phenotype and spread in Lithuanian forests.

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Straigyte, L., Marozas, V. & Žalkauskas, R (2012)

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Horizon-scanning for invasive non-native plants in Great Britain.

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Tirmenstein, D. A. (1991)

Quercus rubra.

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Verloove, F. (2006)

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