Oak Regenerates best under full sunlight conditions.  One method of regenerating is to conduct a shelterwood harvest, which is a two step process:

1. Step 1: a harvest usually done in the fall (preferrably during a good acorn year), where specific trees are marked to be left, and all other trees are harvested - roughly 2/3 of the stand is harvested.  This creates a lot of sunlight, and allows the acorns to germinate.

2. Step 2: after the regeneration is well established, the remaining trees are harvested to provide full sunlight for the young trees.