Abstract:

Oak is a general term for plants in the genus Quercus of the Fagaceae family, and the plants are widely distributed across the continents of Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa in the northern hemisphere. They are also among the important dominant species in broad-leaved forests from temperate to tropical regions in China, ranking first in both area and stock volume. Additionally, as important tree species with multiple uses such as timber, industrial applications, fruit production, and ecological functions, the systematic development and sustainable utilization of oak resources have become a key research spot in forestry, attracting increasing attention. However, in the practical production and application of oak trees in China, there exist problems such as limited systematic evaluation of important applied traits, a shortage of elite varieties, an underdeveloped breeding system, and non-standardized management practices for secondary forests. Since the 1930s, researchers have conducted a series of studies on oak diversity and evolution, germplasm resource collection and trait evaluation, new variety and cultivar breeding, seedling propagation, and forest cultivation and management, achieving significant research results. Based on a thorough comparison with the current status of oak research in overseas, this paper systematically reviews core progress in various aspects of domestic oak scientific research, discusses shortcomings and problems in current studies, and offers suggestions and prospects for future research directions in China, aiming to provide a reference for the development of oak resources and the industry of precious tree species in China.

Key words: oak, classification, resource collection, breeding, propagation and breeding, cultivation