When Trees Go Nuts

In 2010, red squirrels in Canada's Yukon faced an unusual event where white spruce trees produced an extraordinary number of cones, a phenomenon known as masting. Masting occurs when plants of a species synchronize their reproductive efforts, often in response to regional weather cues like rainfall and temperature. This synchronization helps trees maximize pollination and conserve energy by not reproducing every year. Additionally, masting can protect seeds from predators by overwhelming them with an abundance of seeds in certain years, ensuring some seeds survive to grow into new trees.

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