2011 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Oak trees and their Savanna woodlands have played many important roles in the history, development, and ecology of California and the American West (Pavlik et al., 1991; Tyler et al., 2006). Starting with the Spanish Mission period till today, cattle have grazed the oak Savanna, producing beef for our dinner, leather for our shoes, and tallow for our soap. In the mid-nineteenth century, 49ers mined the oak Savanna for gold and used its wood for cooking.
