Introduction

There is great interest in understanding how rangeland management practices affect the long-term sustainability of California oak woodland ecosystems. Blue oak is the dominant tree species on an estimated 3 million ha of woodlands and savanna in the interior valleys and foothills of Central California. Scattered oak trees create a mosaic of open grasslands and oak/understory plant communities . These ecosystems are used extensively for cattle grazing, firewood production, wildlife habitat, and watersheds. Many oak populations do not appear to be regenerating at rates capable of maintaining current distributions and densities causing great concern over sustainability of these ecosystems. No clear evidence exists as to why oak regeneration may be hindered; however, rangeland management practices have been implicated as a possible contributing factor. As a result, there is great interest in understanding how management practices affect long-term ecosystem sustainability, oak regeneration, and water quality through their influence on nutrient cycling. This study examines nutrient cycling by blue oak and the effect of oak tree removal on soil solution chemistry in the Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California.