Search

Quercus faginea (Portuguese oak) is a marcescent White Oak that is distributed across the western Mediterranean Basin in transitional sub-Mediterranean areas that include most of the western Portuguese coast. Due to land-use changes, its presence has been drastically reduced but there are still old-growth oaks, remnants of the native forest, that should be classified as deserving national legal protection for their cultural and aesthetic value as well as for their ecological importance. Much remains to be done in order to identify the trees to be protected and to increase social awareness of the importance of these secular oaks. Hopefully, the implementation of tailored management practices will encourage owners to protect these iconic trees. This work presents some of the oaks in western and central Portugal that have already been classified and others that should be. Our intention is that it serve to promote the future conservation of all old-growth oaks of patrimonial and ecological interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]