There are two shrubby oaks (click here) characteristic of pitch pine-scrub oak barrens: Scrub Oak or Bear Oak (Quercus ilicifolia) and Dwarf Chinquapin Oak (Quercus prinoides). Scrub Oak leaves have bristle-tipped teeth or lobes. Dwarf Chinquapin Oak leaves have rounded to acutely pointed teeth or lobes with an apical papilla (projection) and are not bristle-tipped.
This is a globally rare natural community with only six documented occurrences statewide. Very few documented occurrences have good viability and very few are protected on public land or private conservation land. This community has a very restricted statewide distribution (correlated to pine barrens and sandy soils). Most examples are moderate in size and a few are good quality. Most pitch pine-scrub oak barrens are located within a suburban landscape and are threatened by development, invasive species, and fire suppression....
...The number and acreage of pitch pine-scrub oak barrens in New York have probably had very large declines from historical numbers due to fire suppression, fragmentation, disturbance by off-road vehicles, trash dumping, and development....
...Develop and implement prescribed burn plans at appropriate sites. Reduce or minimize fragmenting features, such as residential and commercial development, roads, abandoned clearings, unnecessary trails, etc. Restrict mountain bikes and ATVs to designated trails and least sensitive areas, and prevent dumping of trash. Remove or control invasive species where appropriate....
