Contact: Harmony Dalgleish, College of William and Mary: hjdalgleish@wm.edu; Michael Steele, Department of Biology, Wilkes University: michael.steele@wilkes.edu
Initiated: 2014
Project Status: Currently accepting participants.
Description
Oak mast (i.e., acorns) is a key resource that profoundly influences a vast array of ecological interactions between consumers, predators, parasites and pathogens in today’s forests. Masting refers to the episodic and synchronized production of large seed crops followed by years of low seed production. Masting can increase the probability of seedling establishment by increasing both pollination success and satiation of seed predators. In oak–dominated forests, oak mast creates periodic food pulses that drive ecosystem function in oak forests worldwide. Many of the ecological interactions that result from acorn production follow directly from the specific characteristics of the acorns themselves, including both chemical (e.g., tannin, lipid) and physical (germination schedules, and acorn size) traits.
Hypotheses/Objectives: Our goal is to document how acorns characteristics vary (1) across latitudinal gradients, (2) with acorn crop size in individual trees, and (3) in relation to insect infestation. Initial detection of such patterns will lead to numerous predictions and hypotheses as we begin to understand the general patterns of biogeographic variation in acorn characteristics.
Summary of Methods: Participants will (1) regularly monitor mast in a small number of individual oak trees (preferentially Q. alba and Q. rubra) with seed collectors, (2) analyze acorns for seed characteristics and patterns of weevil and other insect damage, and (3) ship acorns to Wilkes University for freeze drying and, ultimately, chemical analyses.
Expanded project info: If you wish to participate in the EREN Oak MAST project please follow the Oak MAST protocols (updated July 2014). Oak MAST data collection templates are included in the protocols document.
Curriculum: Curricular materials for this project will be linked here when available.
Other Project Materials: None.
Publications will be linked here when available.