Re: Some musings on current local tree diseases/Pinus radiata

davidfeix@yahoo.com, mark@lamorran.fsworld.co.uk

David Feix wrote:

> A few of the "facts" quoted in the article are also
> not quite right.  Coast Live Oaks are by no means
> rare, they are still abundant along most of the
> coastal ranges, and one of the most common oaks in
> California.  There are several other Live Oak species
> such as Q. chrysolepis in inland areas and Q.
> engelmannii in southern California which tend to
> replace Q. agrifolia, the most common species in the
> San Francisco Bay Area.

I agree completely with mostr of David's post, but one small part is not
quite right.  Quercus agrifolia is also the most common oak in southern
California.  Quercus engelmanii is less drought-tolerant than Q. agrifolia.
It tends to cluster around sources of underground water, like fault lines
where soil, rock, and gravel strata are discontinuous and water often flows
near the surface.  This happens along the Raymond Hill Fault in Pasadena (I
live  and work on it).  Q. engelmanii occurs all along the faultline (or
used to before Homo californicus became addicted to building right on
earthquake faults.)

John MacGregor
South Pasadena, CA 91030
USDA zone 9   Sunset zones 21/23
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