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Name: Kristin
Grade: N/A
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Question:
Our 100 year old oak trees (about 20 of them) did not produce ANY acorns this year. Why is that?

Replies:
Sometimes they do not produce acorns:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1427397

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/org_NWS/NWSci%20journal%20articles/2002%20files/Issue%203/v76%20p189%20Peter%20et%20al.PDF

perhaps due to environmental factors.

Anthony Brach Ph.D.

Acorn production varies from year to year for a number of reasons, including moisture and other weather conditions. Most oaks produce abundant acorn crops in cycles of 2 or 3 years, and the cycle may be in effect for most or all trees in a given area. It may be a bit unusual to find NO acorns in one year, but if it was a "down" year of production cycle and weather or other stress were added, then the tree might not produce acorns. Trees live a long time, and have evolved to reproduce over the long term, not necessarily every year.

J. Elliott


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