This project investigates the factors leading to highly variable and spatially synchronized seed production, a phenomenon known as masting. Researchers are testing the novel idea that small, local differences in climate synchronize the timing of reproduction among trees, which in turn influences in the amount of pollen available each year. When trees in an area reproduce in synchrony, pollen production will be high and masting occurs. Long-term data on acorn production across California will be combined with detailed information on the timing of individual reproduction, microclimate, pollen abundance, and the fate of female flowers to test this hypothesis. Once the roles of reproductive synchrony and microclimate have been identified, the researcher will investigate the ecological consequences of masting in California oaks and the effects of climate change on this important behavior.
The project will collect statewide data on acorn production, a highly variable food resource important to both game and non-game wildlife, as well as to the communities dependent on wildlife, including ticks and tick-borne disease vectors. It targets a tree species, the valley oak, of considerable conservation interest because of development, habitat conversion, apparent lack of regeneration, and susceptibility to future climate change. Citizen scientists are engaged in the project, and an annual newsletter is used to publicize results the project broadly.
