Comparing tree stress rank and tree condition to determine red oak (Quercus spp.) health in Greentree Reservoirs in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Abstract Individual tree health plays a vital role in maintaining a forest’s ecological functions, including resources for waterfowl and other wildlife. Seasonal flooding due to altered hydrology is a major stressor on individual tree health in Greentree reservoirs (GTR), impounded bottomland hardwood forests especially less water tolerant species like red oaks ( Quercus spp.). We evaluated the health of individual red oak species (n = 6,432) in 662 plots across elevation gradients in 12 GTRs within the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley using two tree health assessment approaches. The first approach assigns tree conditions (i.e., stressed, moderate, low) based on overall qualitative tree attributes, while the second approach ranks stress, assigning numerical value based on the severity of four distinct qualitative tree attributes (i.e., tip dieback, epicormics branch, bark condition, basal swell). The result indicated that the highest mean stress rank and the highest proportion of stressed tree conditions were red oak species, nuttall oak ( Q. texana ; 18.59, 0.44), willow oak ( Q. phellos ; 18.66, 0.38) and cherrybark oak ( Q. pagoda ; 18.90, 0.37). Red oak stress is positively correlated to elevation across the landscape ( τ = 0.10, p < 0.001), but is negatively correlated to relative elevation, topographical changes, within each GTR ( τ = − 0.11, p < 0.001). Additionally, the two health assessments are significantly associated ( χ 2 = 313.78, df = 2, p < 0.001) and had a 13.1% misclassification rate. By utilizing the stress rank method for better classification of tree conditions to understand the adverse effect of prolonged flooding on the health of desirable red oak and other native tree species, management practices can be adjusted to improve tree health in GTRs, benefiting both wildlife and economic value.