Ecology thumb|upright|Mossy trunk of a large, old-growth individual surrounded by hemlocks within the Jakey Hollow Natural Area of Weiser State Forest in Columbia County, Pennsylvania Over the last few decades, the northern red oak has dealt with several environmental factors, mainly disease, predation by insects, and limited opportunities for dispersal. These stresses have impacted the species' ability to proliferate in both the Northeast and Europe. The various environmental responses observed in Quercus rubra across several temperate environmental conditions have allowed for it to serve as a model organism for studying symbiotic relationships, dispersal, and habituation between tree species.
ecology thumb|upright|mossy trunk of a large old-growth individual surrounded by hemlocks within the jakey hollow natural area of weiser state forest in columbia county pennsylvania over the last few decades the northern red oak has dealt with several environmental factors mainly disease predation by insects and limited opportunities for dispersal these stresses have impacted the species' ability to proliferate in both the northeast and europe the various environmental responses observed in quercus rubra across several temperate environmental conditions have allowed for it to serve as a model organism for studying symbiotic relationships dispersal and habituation between tree species