So THAT's Why There Are So Many Acorns This Year

AcornsYou might have noticed very early browning of leaves this year, as well as a premature blackberry bounty. That’s partly because this heatwave-packed year has sparked sooner flowering and fruiting, and sadly, drought has left many trees stressed. But if you’ve noticed far more acorns on your forest floor than you’re used to, there may be a different cause – it seems oaks are experiencing a “mast year”. What is a “mast year” for oak trees?Both oak and beech trees (which produce beech nuts) experience this phenomenon, the Woodland Trust explained. “Mast” refers to all the fruits and nuts trees release in autumn to allow them to reproduce. It comes from the Old English word “mæst”.So, when oak and beech trees – whose seed output can change enormously from year to year – have a particularly high-yielding autumn, this is called a “mast year”.Why do mast years happen?We don’t know, but experts have theories. Some think this is down to “predator satiation”, or making more food than animals who eat acorns and beech nuts (like squirrels, badgers, and mice) can realistically consume. Because the output is so unpredictable, populations of these predators cannot optimise for the amount of seeds the trees put out. In other words, the theory goes, animal populations and eating habits would evolve to match and eat the exact amount of nuts the oaks release – leaving none to grow into other trees.By making too many acorns some years, the plants ensure there are some left behind to grow after the feeding frenzy. And because acorn production was lower in the previous years, predator populations aren’t big enough to get through them all.But the cost of doubling down on seeds and nuts is not insignificant. It uses so much energy, the tree’s growth might be slightly stunted.That’s why “mast years” only happen roughly every five to 10 years.Related...So THAT's Why Leaves Turned Brown So Early This YearRipe Blackberries Spotted As Early As June In Heatwave-Heavy YearHere's What To Do With A Glut Of Blackberries (Besides Making Jam)

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So THAT's Why There Are So Many Acorns This Year

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