Gambel Oak
What is Gambel Oak?
Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) is a member of the oak family native to the foothills of the American West, usually found between 6,000 and 9,000 ft. elevation. They can appear as large shrubs or small trees.
Why is Gambel Oak a problem?
Gambel Oak provides habitat and forage for native species, and their acorns are an abundant and nutritious food source that has sustained human populations in the past.
They can, however, act as wildfire fuel, which can be especially dangerous when they are close to structures. Gambel Oak spreads tenaciously through rhizomes which can make it difficult to contain. Their tendency to grow as a shrub, with branches and leaves starting at ground-level, can cause them to act as a “ladder fuel,” where fire can spread vertically from grass up to forest canopies by climbing the Gambel Oak. Dense stands of the oak can also encourage fires to spread horizontally.
How can goats help?
Goats love the leaves of the Gambel Oak. They will eat almost every leaf they can reach, and reach they will. Removing the leaves alone exhausts the oak - they put a lot of energy into making those things. Having the goats browse the leaves off of young oak sprouts can slow down their growth or prevent regrowth entirely. Repeated grazing can thin out the understory and encourage the oaks to act more like trees, creating a healthy forest canopy with a low-growing grass or ground-cover growing below - a safer environment come fire season.
After the goats eat all those leaves, it’s also much easier for us humans to come in with chainsaws to remove the bare branches and thin things out even more. This is good to do anywhere within 50-100 feet of a structure.
How do I start?
If you have Gambel Oak on your property, call or email us to schedule a site visit!
Resources and References
Gambel Oak info video.
Sources on Gambel Oak:
University of Arizona: “Control of Gambel Oak Sprouts by Goats”
Natural Resources Series: “Gambel Oak Management”