Acorns and mast years

From: Steve Marak samarak at arachne.uark.edu> on 2000.11.10 at 16:02:24(5670) I read an article on this phenomenon of very poor acorn (or other seed) production in some years and massive production in others. Apparently it has been well known empirically for a long time. Heavy production years are called "mast years" (mast being a term for acorns and other such fruit). The article I read suggested it was a naturally selected "strategy" for ensuring that at least in some years, so much seed would be produced that predators could hardly get it all. The question for the author(s) was what was the signal that coordinated heavy production in an area? Was it simply favorable growing conditions the previous year, or was there some communication, presumably chemical, involved? I'm sorry that I don't recall which publication I saw this in; we get so many. Steve +More -- Steve Marak -- samarak@arachne.uark.edu

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