Abstract
This second edition contains ten chapters dealing with oak (Quercus)-related literature published since the first edition. Included are the relatively new subject areas of forest biomass use for fuel, the importance of carbon sequestration by forests, and how climate change is expected to affect the distribution of oaks and associated tree species. The chapters are grouped into three parts. The first part contains three chapters covering the ecological characteristics and distribution of oak species, the various kinds of oak forests in the USA and how they have been classified, and their history of human use. The second part comprises three chapters covering site productivity and stand development. An understanding of the productive capacity of oak forests is central to a broad spectrum of issues related to their management and potentialities, not only for timber but also for wildlife and other values, including carbon sequestration. The third part comprises four chapters on silvicultural methods and the growth and yield of oak forests.