Ancestor oaks show modest improvement after 2 years of fire mimicry protocol

For the past two years I have been applying fire mimicry treatments to a grove of Ancestor oaks, ancient (300+ yr old) trees that have been pollarded and otherwise tended in the past by the Ohlone People for acorn production and other uses. Today, I inspected these oaks and see that most have made a modest, but noticeable improvement in canopy density, despite the current drought conditions. Please note the final photo set, which shows a neighboring oak that was not treated.

This oak experienced severe root damage from construction activities in 2020, but does not appear to be deteriorating.

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