Northern Rhode Island has forests with an abundance of oak trees.  Some oak/hickory characterized forests have been lost because of the expansion of industrial and residential land area use.  However, this caused forests to shift into oak/pine and maple/birch forest types.  Oak/pine forests have been increasing in Rhode Island partially due to gypsy moth infestations in the 1980s that killed many oak trees.  The death of these oaks created openings in the forests for sunlight and space that allowed the pines to grow more rapidly.  Oak trees grow and reproduce through stump sprouting and acorns. 

Oak trees play a part in many symbiotic behaviors.  When oaks trees are dead and either still standing or fallen they provide a place to live for animals.  They yield acorns that are a vital food source for squirrels and various wildlife species.  While oak trees provide squirrels food, squirrels aid in the development of oak trees in a forest.  In autumn, the gray squirrel gathers, eats, and stores acorns so they will have enough food to survive through the winter.  The squirrels take part in an activity called scatter hoarding.  Scatter hoarding is when the squirrels bury their food in many locations to insure not all of their harvest will be lost to another animal or squirrel.  Squirrels save more food than they need so not all of the acorns will be consumed.  These acorns that are not consumed will grow into more oak trees. This greatly aids in the development and the distribution of trees.