Publication

The 2024 International Oak Symposium was an inaugural meeting convened in Knoxville, TN, USA and represented the first international symposium addressing broad ecological and forestry issues of the genus Quercus (oak) ever held. The symposium provided opportunities and platforms to exchange information and build collaborations around the best available science and technology on oak ecology and management for a global audience. The meeting provided innovative and progressive formats, such as panel discussions, field tours, receptions, surveys, and question and answer sessions to deliver and exchange information and foster collaborations between researchers and practitioners. 

Attendees chose one of three field tours that showcased: 1) multidisciplinary research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture; 2) Indigenous and western ecological knowledge and cultural history of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; or 3) prescribed fire and silviculture at the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area. 

The symposium featured 13 invited plenary session speakers from North America and Europe and approximately 100 offered oral presentations and posters from four continents. Presentations addressed an array of topics: climate change impacts and climate-smart forestry; woodland restoration; genetics, genomics, and tree improvement; prescribed fire efficacy; emerging economic markets including carbon; forest health; and silvicultural applications for natural and artificial regeneration. 

Two common themes identified at the symposium were: 1) the difficulty and barriers that impede the delivery and application of the best available science to land managers, and 2) the need for active management while facing uncertainty. Presenters represented various organizations from nongovernmental organizations, Federal agencies, State agencies, research centers, universities, and industry.