Have you ever heard of a mast year for trees?

C

CarolfromTX

Senior Member
Location
Central Texas
It seems 2019 is a mast year for trees, which mean they produce way more nuts and pine cones and seeds than in a normal year. I can certainly attest to this in our neighborhood, where the acorns are thick on the ground, and in the streets, and everywhere else! Some sections of our streets look tan from all the crushed acorns. The squirrels will be busy this year!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/scie...47f544-07ee-11ea-818c-fcc65139e8c2_story.html
 

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Same here in central Missouri. This fall, mowing the yard was like mowing over rocks...the mower blades "dinging" as it crunched up an abundance of acorns, etc. I probably raked up a thousand Walnuts from around a couple of big Walnut trees, so they wouldn't mess up the mowers. The squirrels have pock marked the entire yard with their burying of the excess.
 
That's very interesting. I haven't heard of it and have always been very interested in nature.
 

Masting, as I've experienced it, has everything to do with favorable (for it) weather. There is research going on concerning tree to tree communication, but I see no need to bring that in, when dealing with the cause behind masting.

It all ties in with natural cycles, the ebb and flow of life energies in nature. Squirrels get fat eating the bounty, over reproduce, too many squirrels, the next season, eat acorns before they even mature. Squirrel populations experience a dieback, as desperate squirrels strip portions of bark from oaks, exposing the trees to opportunistic pathogens which further decreases acorn production. (The preceding also applies to pines and their cones, other trees that produce seeds that are favored by any wildlife.)

Less squirrels, favorable weather, the following season, or two:

"And go round, and round, and round, in the circle game......"
 
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I didn't know the word for it was "mast", so thanks for a new word.

At my condo community there are some woods surrounding it, but they cut down some bordering oaks that gave acorns, so none on the sidewalk this year, Most of the rest are huge pines, a few maples, and young oaks so this year I didn't notice a whole lot of acorns.

In past years there have been masts.
 
treeguy64 said:
Masting, as I've experienced it, has everything to do with favorable (for it) weather. There is research going on concerning tree to tree communication, but I see no need to bring that in, when dealing with the cause behind masting.

It all ties in with natural cycles, the ebb and flow of life energies in nature. Squirrels get fat eating the bounty, over reproduce, too many squirrels, the next season, eat acorns before they even mature. Squirrel populations experience a dieback, as desperate squirrels strip portions of bark from oaks, exposing the trees to opportunistic pathogens which further decreases acorn production.

Less squirrels, favorable weather, the following season, or two:

"And go round, and round, and round, in the circle game......"
Click to expand...
So interesting, TG! You know, now that you mention it, I can remember our back woods swarming with gray squirrels- really gangs of them, writhing in spirals around and up and down trees. I guess it was mating season.
 
Very interesting, indeed!(y)

Please make a note, to all who may be concerned, that it matters which way you spell those words, mating or masting.
Take care to put the letter "s" in or out, depending on your meaning..... :oops::rolleyes::sneaky:
 
Kaila said:
Very interesting, indeed!(y)

Please make a note, to all who may be concerned, that it matters which way you spell those words, mating or masting.
Take care to put the letter "s" in or out, depending on your meaning..... :oops::rolleyes::sneaky:
Click to expand...
I actually meant "mating" season, @Kaila in this case, cuz those critters were like mad chasing. :ROFLMAO: But I see exactly what you mean, now.
 

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