WEBSITES
California Oak Mortality Task Force
www.suddenoakdeath.org or http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf
This is the most comprehensive source of information for the general public about sudden oak death and the pathogen that causes it.
Useful pages on the site include:
History and Background
http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/html/history___background.html
Chronology of disease discovery, research, and regulation
Affected habitats
Ecological threats posed by the disease
Symptoms and Diagnosis
http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/html/symptoms___diagnosis.html
List of current regulated host species and associated plant species
Plant symptoms
Wildland and nursery plant diagnosis guides with photos
Look-alike diseases and common misdiagnoses
Information about the pathogen
Maps and Photos
http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/html/maps___photos.html
Image library including photos of infected plants and landscapes and photomicrographs of Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen that causes sudden oak death.
Surveys of infected areas
Preliminary sudden oak death risk/hazard map
Link to the OakMapper website (see below)
Treatment and Management Information
http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/html/treatment___management.html
Resource information for homeowners (in English and Spanish)
The disease and its treatment
Precautions for preventing the spread of the pathogen
List of tree care professionals who have completed training in P. ramorum diagnosis and treatment
Resource information professionals including arborists, foresters, ecologists, and other landscape professionals
Best Management Practices for activities and people in wildlands and urban-interface zones
Guides for recreational open space users, people collecting items in forests, tribal plant gatherers, arborists, forestry, and firefighters
General information on oak tree maintenance and care
Nursery Information
http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/html/nursery_information.html
Regulatory updates, diagnosis guides and photos, and best management practices
Library of Documents
http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/html/library.html
A regularly-updated comprehensive list of publications addressing numerous aspects of Phytophthora ramorum research
Task Force documents available for download, including informational pamphlets, diagnostic guides, educational materials, brochures and best management practices
Comprehensive informational binder, PowerPoint presentations available for download and use
Risk assessments for California, Oregon, and beyond
OakMapper
This web site includes detailed geographic information about the distribution of sudden oak death in California. Users can report a tree suspected of being infected with sudden oak death; view maps of infested areas at the state, county, or vicinity level; watch the animated movie, “SOD Through Time”; learn about techniques for monitoring the disease; and much more.
US Department of Agriculture’s current list of proven host species and plants associated with Phytophthora ramorum.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/pramorum/
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources online media kit
http://news.ucanr.org/mediakits/sodkit/SOD.shtml
Includes articles about the disease and its spread as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
Sudden Oak Death and Wildlife (from the Wildlife Conservation Society):
http://www.wcs.org/international/northamerica/pacificwest/sod
Very brief summary of ongoing research on the ecological effects of sudden oak death.
Global Invasive Species Web Database Information on Phytophthora ramorum
http://www.invasivespecies.net/database/species/ecology.asp?si=563&fr=1&sts=sss
Includes information about the biology, impacts, and management of Phytophthora ramorum.
California Oaks Foundation
Web site includes information on oak tree care, though little on sudden oak death.
SYMPOSIUM
The Sixth California Oak Symposium: Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Opportunities, October 9-12, 2006, Rohnert Park, CA.
http://danr.ucop.edu/ihrmp/symposium.html
Conference features a field trip and two indoor sessions on sudden oak death, and is intended for academics, planners, conservation practitioners, foresters, arborists, land owners, and oak enthusiasts.
BOOKS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS
(General Information about Oaks)
Oaks of California, by Bruce M. Pavlik, Pamela Muick, and Sharon Johnson, Cachuma Press, 1993.
A guide to all species of California oaks and the ecosystems of which they are such integral parts.
The Life of an Oak: An Intimate Portrait, by Glenn Keator, Heyday Books, 1998.
An in-depth exploration of the oak’s natural history.
Oak: The Frame of Civilization, by William Bryant Logan, W.W. Norton and Company, 2005.
A history of the oak as a natural resource for human civilization as well as its role in the natural world.
Living Among the Oaks
http://danr.ucop.edu/ihrmp/pubreq/living.pdf
Eight-page leaflet presents practical information on protecting and enhancing native oaks that grow on California rangelands. Single copies are available free upon request.
Wildlife Among the Oaks
http://danr.ucop.edu/ihrmp/pubreq/wildlife.pdf
Small booklet provides up-to-date information on how the home, ranchette, and ranch owner can attract and maintain oak woodland wildlife. Single copies are available free upon request.
How to Grow California Oaks
by Douglas D. McCreary
Four-page guide gives an overview of how to regenerate rangeland oak species, including information on collecting and storing acorns, planting, and seedling maintenance and protection. Single copies are available free upon request by contacting Joni Rippee at ihrmp@nature.berkeley.edu.
UC Hardwood Range Management Program Oaks ‘n’ Folks Newsletter
http://danr.ucop.edu/ihrmp/allpubs.html#oakfolks
Biannual newsletter with articles of interest to owners and managers of California hardwood rangelands. Available in both printed and electronic format.
California Oak Foundation
Key advocacy group for oaks and oak woodlands. Publishes a monthly e-newsletter, “The Oak Report”, with updates on legislative, policy, and research issues relevant to California’s oaks.
—Compiled by Sue Rosenthal