The white oak

Oak and chestnut trees grow at the same altitude (between 500 and 800 m), so that the expansion of chestnut groves occurred at the expense of oak. Here, the grove mostly consists of bouscas, ungrafted chestnut trees that grow as suckers out of tree stumps. The decline of chestnut groves, under whose canopy white oak regenerates well, has enabled it to resettle certain areas, especially on the adrets (south-facing slopes) and in areas of rock outcrops. White oaks are better at making do with stony and dry soils than sweet-chestnut trees.