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1.
Jacob N. Straub Richard M. Kaminski Alan. G. Leach Andrew W. Ezell Theodor Leininger Justyn Foth J. Brian Davis 《The Journal of wildlife management》2024,88(2):e22534
The Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) is an internationally important migration and wintering region for Nearctic waterfowl. Most of the MAV is a lowland forested floodplain that contains vast stands of red oaks (Quercus spp.). These trees produce acorns and, when forests flood, diverse communities of aquatic invertebrates emerge, providing diverse nutritious foods for wintering ducks. The MAV is within the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture (LMV JV) region of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, but no combined MAV-wide estimates of acorn and invertebrate biomass exist to determine foraging carrying capacity for conservation planning or actions by the LMV JV or other partners in regions containing southern red oaks. We sampled acorns that fell to the ground or were submersed under shallow water deemed accessible to foraging ducks and aquatic invertebrates in the MAV of Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, USA, during fall-winter 2009–2011. In good and poor masting years, acorn abundance was non-linearly related to the percentage of the forest canopy made up of red oaks and peaked in late autumn or winter when most other waterfowl resources are depleted or decomposed. This finding is novel and represents a deviation from how the LMV JV has traditionally assumed food resources exist for waterfowl in hardwood bottomlands. We used a daily ration model to estimate energy use days (EUDs) from combined acorn and invertebrate biomasses relative to red oak canopy coverage. For good and poor acorn masting years at the mean MAV-wide red oak canopy coverage of 45%, EUD = 2,273.1 days/ha and 161.2 days/ha, respectively. The LMV JV currently uses EUD = 385–502 days/ha for forests with 40–50% red oak canopy coverage. Because acorns and aquatic macro-invertebrates are a food resource that persists through winter and reaches peak abundance later in winter, we contend conservation planners have undervalued the potential of bottomland hardwoods to provide energy for wintering ducks. 相似文献
2.
Alan G. Leach Jacob N. Straub Richard M. Kaminski Andrew W. Ezell Tracy S. Hawkins Theodor D. Leininger 《The Journal of wildlife management》2012,76(7):1519-1522
Decomposition of red oak acorns (Quercus spp.; Section Erythrobalanus) could decrease forage biomass and gross energy (GE) available to wintering ducks from acorns. We estimated changes in mass and GE for 3 species of red oak acorns in flooded and non-flooded bottomland hardwood forests in Mississippi during winter 2009–2010. Mass loss of acorns was ≤8.1% and reduction in GE ≤0.03 kcal/g after exposure for 90 days. These small changes in mass and GE of red oak acorns would have minimal effect on carrying capacity of bottomland hardwood forests for ducks. © 2012 The Wildlife Society. 相似文献
3.
Craig R. McLane Loretta L. Battaglia David J. Gibson John W. Groninger 《Restoration Ecology》2012,20(2):202-210
Exotic plants pose a threat to restoration success in post‐agricultural bottomlands, but little information exists on their dynamics during succession of actively restored sites. We hypothesized that exotic assemblages would establish during succession and that their compositional trends during succession time would mirror those published for native species in other systems, with an early peak in herbaceous richness followed by a decline as woody species establish. In the summer of 2008, we sampled 16 sites across an 18‐year chronosequence of restored forests, with an additional four mature forest stands for comparison, within the Cypress Creek NWR, Illinois, U.S.A. We identified all vascular plant species and quantified canopy openness at three canopy strata, and soil texture and chemistry. Trends in exotic assemblages were significantly correlated with canopy openness at all strata. Richness of exotic and native herbaceous species was related to stand age and consistent with a Weibull regression model. Native and exotic herbaceous cover followed an exponential decay model. Woody native richness over time conformed to a logistic model; woody exotics exhibited no relationship with stand age and were present in sites of all ages. Our results indicate that although their rates of decline differ, herbaceous exotics and natives exhibit similar successional dynamics; therefore, herbaceous exotics may not pose a lasting threat to restoration success in reforested floodplains. Woody exotics can establish across a range of successional stages and persist under closed canopy conditions. Bottomland restorations are vulnerable to the invasion and expansion of exotic plant species even after canopy closure. 相似文献
4.
Effects of hydrology on spatial patterns of soil development in created riparian wetlands 总被引：4，自引：0，他引：4
Surficial soil development was studied in four wetland basins created on the floodplain of the Des Plaines River near Chicago,
Illinois, USA. These studies determined changes in the spatial distribution of plant-available nutrients as a result of establishing
two different wetland hydrologic regimes. Three wetland basins had mineral soils and one an organic soil. A geostatistical
analysis including kriging of collected data indicated that all soil parameters showed significant changes in their spatial
structure as a result of the water inputs and unidirectional flows. The degree of spatial variability as indicated by autocorrelation
in the soil data (i.e., points closer to one another are more similar than points further apart due to the influence of landscape
processes) declined for all parameters except Mg+2. Temporal changes in the spatial patterns of extractable phosphorus (P) and percent organic carbon (OC) tended to be inverse;
P declined in areas where OC increased and vice versa. The spatial pattern of these changes was dissimilar in the mineral
soils as compared to the organic soil and was related to patterns of primary productivity. Zones of P uptake and OC accumulation
were also related to wetland hydrology and primary productivity. Changes in the distribution of nutrients, particularly P,
may be viewed as a result of nutrient spirals within the wetlands. By comparison, the reorganization in the concentrations
of K+ and Ca+2 appear to have been mediated by cation exchange processes. The formation of new concentration gradients was strongly related
to both flow pathways and the different water inflow rates. The formation of concentration gradients in exchangeable cations
was not reflected in the average concentrations within each basin. Mean values changed significantly in only a few instances.
Reducing data in this way missed important biogeochemical changes occurring within the experimental wetland basins.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. 相似文献
5.
啮齿动物对栎属坚果的捕食和传播是栎林能否进行实生苗成功进行更新的关键因子。2002-2003年,通过对锐齿槲栎（Quercus aliena var．acuteserrata）坚果进行烧焦炭化、2种胶带包裹、系绳、染色、埋藏、放置背景颜色的4种改变、切半和对照12种处理,观测坚果的留存与啮齿动物就地捕食和搬运等作用下的变化动态及其最终数量或比例,以研究啮齿动物对坚果的捕食、搬运、丢弃、埋藏等作用以及最终留存的数量与特点,测定完好坚果的比例在啮齿动物捕食前和捕食后的变化,结果发现：（1）丢弃坚果中非完好的比例较捕食前有显著的增加（P〉0．05）,表明啮齿动物咬开坚果后才能识别坚果是否完好并进一步确定是否继续捕食。（2）与对照比较,坚果的命运可分为4类：①简单埋藏、放置黑色纸上的坚果命运没有显著改变,说明啮齿动物对坚果周围环境简单变化的敏感性低,且更加适应黑色背景。②系绳、染色、切半、以白、绿、红纸为背景放置坚果的处理。就地捕食的速率显著降低,持续时间不变;与对照相比,搬运的速率早期相同,后来略有升高,搬运持续时间也相应增加,最终被搬运的比例增加而就地捕食的比例降低,留存的坚果为0。说明坚果的附着物、颜色、完整程度、放置背景等改变后,有助于提高啮齿动物对捕食风险的估计,并相应采取减少就地捕食的策略。③烧焦坚果就地捕食和搬运的开始速率接近0,至第4-5天。速率提高至最大值,然后再降低至0,结果就地捕食和搬运的比例都明显的下降,留存的坚果比例为49．6％,其中就地捕食的比例相对于搬运的比例明显减低,说明啮齿动物对坚果气味的变化同样采取减少就地捕食的策略,从而增加了留存;而搬运速率由开始时极低逐渐升高的现象,表明啮齿动物对于食物气味的变化可能采取试探的策略,经过试探再加快搬运速率。④胶带包裹处理的坚果,啮齿动物就地捕食的开始速率接近0,在第4天上升为最大值,随后开始下降,结果坚果留存为0,就地捕食的比例低于5％,搬运的比例增加。啮齿动物对坚果气昧和状态共同的变化同样采取减少就地捕食的策略,而对搬运同样采取试探的策略,说明啮齿动物对坚果的感知可能属于视觉和嗅觉混合作用的模式。 相似文献
6.
Dispersal limitation can retard natural establishment of desirable species on restoration sites, especially where landscapes are fragmented, but dispersal limitation is assumed to become less critical with time as early colonists become reproductively mature. Distribution patterns of recruiting trees in a 20‐year‐old passively restored bottomland in northeast Louisiana suggested persistent dispersal limitation in some bottomland hardwood species and influence of dense shrub patches on colonization. To test these hypotheses, we measured seed rain as a function of distance to seed source and association with shrub cover. Seed rain of the wind‐dispersed Fraxinus pennsylvanica was highest near the forest edge, except where mature recruits occurred. Although shrub presence did not influence dispersal of F. pennsylvanica, its negative influence on probability of occurrence in the sapling layer suggests that shrub cover may limit its regeneration. The bird‐dispersed Crataegus viridis and Ilex decidua were found in the seed rain and as reproductive individuals within the field; neither had a positive relationship with shrub presence. Dispersal of heavy‐seeded Quercus spp. and Carya aquatica was limited to within 20 m of the forest edge. These results imply that dispersal limitation is diminishing in wind‐ and bird‐dispersed species with maturation of in‐field recruits and that shrub patches may influence these patterns. Heavy‐seeded species, however, remain restricted to field edges that directly abut a seed source. If canopy closure by wind‐ and bird‐dispersed species precedes dispersal of heavy‐seeded species into the field, establishment of Quercus and Carya spp. may remain low for the foreseeable future. 相似文献
7.
WILLIAM J. MCSHEA WILLIAM M. HEALY PATRICK DEVERS TODD FEARER FRANK H. KOCH DEAN STAUFFER JEFF WALDON 《The Journal of wildlife management》2007,71(5):1717-1728
Abstract: Acom production by oaks (Quercus spp.) is an important food resource for wildlife in many deciduous forests. Its role as a hard mast crop that can be either stored or used to build fat reserves for winter survival cannot be replaced by most other potential foods. Changes in forest management, introduced pests and pathogens, and increased deer populations have resulted in significant changes in the demography of oaks in eastern North America, as evident in Forest Inventory and Analysis data. Specifically, maples (Acer spp.) are replacing oaks in many forests through dominance of the younger age classes. These changes are not yet obvious in mast production but will take decades to reverse. Effective forest management for mast production is arguably one of the more important tasks facing wildlife professionals, yet receives scant attention by both public and private land managers. Public forests need to explicitly include mast production in their forest planning and reduce adversarial relationships over forest management. Market forces are driving commercial forests toward forest certification. Private forests compose 80% of our oak forests and are the hardest group to influence. States have not been able to effectively market forest plans and we recommend joining with advocacy groups more adept at motivating the public. Increased communication between wildlife and forestry professionals is needed through agency restructuring and joint meetings of professional agencies at the state level. Professional wildlife and forest managers are encouraged to make increased use of monitoring data and form a multiagency cooperative using a joint venture model, which has been successful for other organizations. 相似文献
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10.
Todd M. Fearer Gary W. Norman James C. Pack Sr Steve Bittner William M. Healy 《Journal of Biogeography》2008,35(11):2012-2025
Aim The aims of this study were to identify the effects physiographic differences have on the spatial synchrony of acorn production within red (Quercus rubra) and white (Quercus alba) oak subgenus groups, to identify climatic factors associated with acorn production patterns, and to assess if and how these relationships vary across a distinct physiographic boundary. Location Maryland and Virginia in the eastern United States. Methods Using data from 36 survey sites in Virginia (1973–2000) and Maryland (1977–2000), we described the spatial synchrony of annual acorn production based on Mantel tests and modified correlograms at three spatial scales: (1) the entire study area, (2) within two ecological regions (mountain and Piedmont), and (3) between these ecoregions. Using climate data obtained from the National Climate Data Centre, we described the relationship between climate and acorn production within each ecological region using linear regression. Results Spatial synchrony in the white oak group acorn production was strong among sites closest together, and declined with distance. The average April temperature during the year of acorn drop was positively related to acorn crop size within the mountain and Piedmont ecoregions. Spatial synchrony in the red oak group was strong among sites closest together and declined with distance in the mountain region. Synchrony was weaker in the Piedmont than in the mountain ecoregion and declined slightly with increasing distance. Between the mountain and Piedmont ecoregions, synchrony was not detected among the closest sites, but was detected with increasing strength as the distance between site pairs increased. In the Piedmont ecoregion, the number of April freeze events and total July precipitation, both 2 years prior to acorn drop, were negatively related to red oak acorn production. In the mountains, average July temperature 2 years prior to acorn drop was positively related to acorn production. Main conclusions Physiographic differences affected the spatial acorn production synchrony in the red oak but not in the white oak subgenus group. Climatic factors related to annual acorn production variability differed between subgenus groups and physiographic regions. The physiographic differences between the mountain and Piedmont ecoregions may define spatial patterns of acorn production synchrony in some oak species and mediate climatic influences on acorn production. 相似文献
11.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Populations of oak (Quercus petraea and Q. robur) were investigated using morphological and molecular (AFLP) analyses to assess species distinction. The study aimed to describe species distinction in Irish oak populations and to situate this in a European context. METHODS: Populations were sampled from across the range of the island of Ireland. Leaf morphological characters were analysed through clustering and ordination methods. Putative neutral molecular markers (AFLPs) were used to analyse the molecular variation. Cluster and ordination analyses were also performed on the AFLP markers in addition to calculations of genetic diversity and F-statisitcs. KEY RESULTS: A notable divergence was uncovered between the morphological and molecular analyses. The morphological analysis clearly differentiated individuals into their respective species, whereas the molecular analysis did not. Twenty species-specific AFLP markers were observed from 123 plants in 24 populations but none of these was species-diagnostic. Principal Coordinate Analysis of the AFLP data revealed a clustering, across the first two axes, of individuals according to population rather than according to species. High F(ST) values calculated from AFLP markers also indicated population differentiation (F(ST) = 0.271). Species differentiation accounted for only 13 % of the variation in diversity compared with population differentiation, which accounted for 27 %. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that neutral molecular variation is partitioned more strongly between populations than between species. Although this could indicate that the populations of Q. petraea and Q. robur studied may not be distinct species at a molecular level, it is proposed that the difficulty in distinguishing the species in Irish oak populations using AFLP markers is due to population differentiation masking species differences. This could result from non-random mating in small, fragmented woodland populations. Hybridization and introgression between the species could also have a significant role. 相似文献
12.
辽东栎(Quercus wutaishanica)是构成中国暖温带落叶阔叶林的主要建群种之一,对维护生态平衡、改善环境起着非常重要的作用.但长期以来,对辽东栎的分类学位置一直存在争议.综合植物形态学、地理分布、细胞和化学分类、DNA分子标记及数量分类等方面的研究证据,深入讨论了辽东栎在栎属(Quercus)中的分类地位及其命名;考虑其名称已在实际生产和科学研究中应用的广泛程度,认为保留辽东栎在栎属中的种级分类地位是比较恰当的,而彻底抹掉辽东栎在栎属中的分类位置不太妥当,辽东栎的名称宜根据《中国植物志》,采用“辽东栎Quercus wutaishanica Mayr”. 相似文献
13.
William H. Conner John W. Day Jr. Wayne R. Slater 《Wetlands Ecology and Management》1993,2(4):189-197
The Verret basin was formerly an overflow area between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers and contains about 41,000ha of forested wetlands. Water levels are rising at the rate of over 1 cm/year in this area, and the forests are subjected to longer and deeper flooding. Tree growth, litterfall, and species composition were monitored across a flooding gradient during January 1985–December 1986. The driest area was only 20 cm higher in elevation than the wettest area, but the structure of the forest changes greatly over this range. The drier area was dominated by sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), oaks (Quercus spp.), and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata Willd.), while green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) were dominant in the wetter area. Green ash and bitter pecan (Carya aquatica (Michaux. f.) Nutt.) were found in all plots, but these two species are under severe stress in the more flooded area as evidenced by dead and dying trees. Stem wood production increased from 1985 to 1986 in the driest (392 to 473 g/m2/yr) and wettest (199 to 399 g/m2/yr) plots, but remained relatively unchanged in the transitional area (386 to 380g/m2/yr). Leaf litter production decreased across the gradient from dry to flooded plots during both years. Over 40% of the litterfall in the drier plot was from flood-tolerant shrub species. In the flooded plots, red maple and baldcypress were major contributors to total litterfall. Increased flooding of dry bottomland forests in the future could lead to decreased litterfall and increased tree death over the entire watershed. 相似文献
14.
Quercus rubra is one of the most important timber and ornamental tree species from eastern North America. It is a widespread species growing under variable ecological conditions. Chloroplast DNA variation was studied by PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) in 290 individuals from 66 populations sampled throughout the natural range. A total of 12 haplotypes were detected, with one found in 75% of the trees. Population differentiation is relatively low (G(ST) = 0.46), even when similarities between haplotypes are taken into account (N(ST) = 0.50), pointing to a weak phylogeographical structure. Furthermore, no spatial structure of genetic diversity could be detected. The genetic differentiation increased northwards, reflecting the postglacial history of Q. rubra. The unusual aspect of this study was the low level of chloroplast DNA genetic differentiation in Q. rubra compared to that typically observed in other oak species. Palynological evidence indicates that during the last glacial maximum, Q. rubra had one major distribution range with populations located relatively far to the north, resulting in only modest movement northwards when climate improved, whereas European white oaks were largely restricted to the southern European peninsulas and experienced extensive movements during the postglacial period. The contrasted geographical features and levels of tree species richness of both continents might further explain why congeneric species sharing similar life history traits have genetic structures that are so different. 相似文献
15.
The role of microclimate in determining the sensitivity of Quercus rubra L. to ozone 总被引：1，自引：1，他引：1
L. J. SAMUELSON 《The New phytologist》1994,128(2):235-241
16.
M. F. Jurgensen D. L. Richter M. M. Davis M. R. McKevlin M. H. Craft 《Wetlands Ecology and Management》1996,4(4):223-233
Mycorrhizae are important in the functioning of forest ecosystems worldwide, and play a critical role in water uptake, nutrient acquisition, and prevention of feeder root disease. The majority of mycorrhizal research has been conducted on upland sites, especially in coniferous ecosystems and in commercial agricultural production. However, the maintenance and restoration of bottomland hardwood (BLH) forest ecosystems in the southern United States is of increasing concern. Both ectomycorrhizae and endomycorrhizae are present in BLH forests, although the dominance of one or the other type depends primarily on both the tree species and the hydrologic regime. Ectomycorrhizae tend to be more sensitive to flooding, while endomycorrhizal infection can be present even in permanently flooded soils. The mycorrhizae of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and the oaks (Quercus spp.) have been studied most due to their economic importance.Considerable work is still needed to better understand mycorrhizal relationships in BLH ecosystems and associated trees, both with respect to infectivity and nutrient cycling. Such information may be necessary for restoration of BLH forests on old agricultural fields, or to maintain the productivity of BLH forests after harvest. This paper summarizes studies on mycorrhizae relationships in BLH forests and suggests future work necessary for understanding the role mycorrhizae can have in managing these ecosystems. 相似文献
17.
Historically, oak woodlands of northern California have been subject to intensive tree and brush removal efforts to improve land for livestock grazing. As a result of this tree removal, these watersheds are susceptible to soil erosion and stream degradation. Therefore, planting woody vegetation is often required to restore watershed function. Prior to such actions, a thorough understanding of natural vegetation regeneration patterns is essential. The physical and biological attributes of natural vegetation regeneration in a cleared watershed were characterized using remote sensing, a Geographic Information System, and field surveys. A 79‐ha watershed at the University of California's Hopland Research and Extension Center was examined because the clearing of vegetation was part of a well‐documented experiment in the early 1960s, providing essential baseline data. The results of this study reveal that significantly more oak regeneration, consisting mostly of evergreen oaks, occurred on moister and steeper northerly slopes. Deciduous oaks, located primarily on drier and less steep southerly slopes, have not regenerated. Hardwood regeneration was associated with Josephine, Los Gatos, and Maymen soils. The distribution of hardwood regeneration is clustered, suggesting that the presence of other trees may promote regeneration. These results also suggest that without active restoration efforts such as tree planting and seedling protection, southerly slopes will most likely remain barren and erosion will continue, while northerly slopes and riparian areas will recover under the current land management practices. Despite some woody plant regeneration, the once densely forested watershed is now predominantly grassland, emphasizing the need to minimize clearing of California oak woodlands. 相似文献
18.
昆虫寄生对辽东栎种子命运的影响 总被引：17，自引：2，他引：17
报道了昆虫寄生对辽东栎 Quercus liaotungensis 种子命运的影响。结果表明：（1）被昆虫寄生的种子发芽率明显低于正常成熟的种子,被昆虫寄生的种子或者不能发芽,或者能发芽但随后死亡;（2）从虫卵到老龄幼虫的发育在橡实内完成,当橡实落地后幼虫破壳而出,整个种子库的幼虫破壳时间延续2～50天,并非高度同步化;种子库的虫寄生率高达45.4%,以柞栎象Curculio dentipes为主,还有少量其它种类,如另一种象虫Curculio sp.、栗白小卷蛾 Cydia kurokoi 和螟蛾科（Pyralidae）的一未定名种;（3）昆虫寄生影响橡实成熟,测量种子大小分布表明,被昆虫寄生的种子的大小分布介于未成熟和成熟种子之间;（4）象虫寄生取食引起16.05% 的种子能量损失,显著低于对照组。结果证明昆虫寄生对辽东栎种子的命运有重要影响,是影响辽东栎种群更新的关键因素之一。 相似文献
19.
Effects of flooding on root dynamics appear nonlinear and therefore difficult to predict, leading to disparate and often contradictory reports of flooding impacts on production in bottomland hardwood forests. We explored root dynamics in two adjacent wetland habitats by comparing results obtained from several methods of estimating root processes. Also, we tested the influence of flooding on root dynamics of cherrybark, overcup, water and swamp chestnut oaks. Fine root biomass in the laurel oak habitat was greater (< 0.05) than in the swamp tupelo habitat (5.7 vs. 2.4 Mg ha–1), as was fine root necromass (2.4 vs. 1.3 Mg ha–1), productivity (2.3 vs. 0.3 Mg ha–1 yr–1 when the sum of significant increments method was used, 5.6 vs. 2.5 Mg ha –1 yr–1 when the maximum minus minimum method was used, and 1.2 vs. 1.0 Mg ha–1 yr –1, when the root screen method was used), and turnover (40% and 12% per year). Mortality estimates were lower in the laurel oak habitat (1.3 and 1.2 Mg ha–1 yr–1) than in the swamp tupelo community (2.8 and 2.1 Mg ha–1 yr–1) when significant increment and maximum minus minimum methods were used, respectively. This apparent contradiction between estimates of production and mortality may be due to more rapid decomposition rates in the more aerated soil of the laurel oak than in the swamp tupelo forest type. Roots in the swamp tupelo habitat appeared to be longer-lived than in the laurel oak habitat. We concluded that there was greater investment in roots in the laurel oak habitat, where a shallow rooting zone and episodes of flooding and drought required drastic changes in root structure and physiology. In contrast, the swamp tupelo habitat had a deeper rooting zone and more consistently moist to flooded hydroperiod, allowing flood adapted roots to persist. The four oak species varied in their phenology of root production and response to flooding, from no difference among treatments for overcup oak to dramatic reductions in root growth during and after flooding for cherrybark oak. Flooding enhanced or at least did not negatively influence root growth in overcup oak, but seriously impacted root growth and survival of cherrybark oak and swamp chestnut oak. Different responses were attributed to the timing of root production: root growth began early for cherrybark oak so spring flooding severely affected this species. Growth in overcup oak began later and ended earlier than the other species tested, allowing the species a means of avoiding flood stress. 相似文献
20.
Alexis R. Sullivan Sandra A. Owusu Jaime A. Weber Andrew L. Hipp Oliver Gailing 《Botanical journal of the Linnean Society. Linnean Society of London》2016,181(1):99-114
Oaks (Quercus: Fagaceae) commonly interbreed yet retain their morphological, genetic and ecological distinctiveness. Post‐zygotic isolation mechanisms, such as ecologically dependent selection on adaptive loci, may therefore limit introgression. To test this hypothesis, we quantified hybridization and genetic divergence across the contact zone of four red oaks (Quercus section Lobatae) in the Great Lakes region of North America using a suite of 259 amplified fragment length polymorphisms and 27 genic and genomic microsatellite markers. First, we identified hybrids using genetic structure analysis and confirmed the reliability of our assignments via simulations. Then, we identified candidate loci for species maintenance with three complementary tests for selection and obtained partial gene sequences linked to an outlier locus and three other loci. We detected evidence of recent hybridization among all species and considerable gene flow between Q. ellipsoidalis and Q. velutina. Overall, c. 20% of Q. velutina had recent ancestry from Q. ellipsoidalis, whereas nearly 30% of Q. ellipsoidalis had a Q. velutina ancestor. Most loci were negligibly to weakly differentiated among species, but two gene‐linked microsatellites deviated significantly from neutral expectations in multiple, complementary outlier tests. Both outlier loci were located in the same 15‐cM bin on an existing Q. robur linkage map, a region under divergent selection in other oak species. Adaptive loci in this highly differentiated genomic region may contribute to ecological divergence among species and limit introgression. 相似文献