this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2025
37 points (100.0% liked)

UK Nature and Environment

730 readers
53 users here now

General Instance Rules:

Community Specific Rules:

Note: Our temporary logo is from The Wildlife Trusts. We are not officially associated with them.

Our current banner is a shot of Walberswick marshes, Suffolk by GreyShuck.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

This autumn, you may notice an unusually large number of acorns scattered under every oak tree. This isn't a figment of your imagination; it's a natural occurrence known as a mast year, and it's currently taking place across the UK.

A mast year is a biological event in which certain tree species, notably oaks and beeches, produce a significantly larger crop of seeds in unison. It's not just a minor increase; during a mast year, an oak tree can shed thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, more acorns than usual.

These abundant harvests are followed by years of much lower, or even negligible, acorn production. This fluctuation is a smart and ancient evolutionary tactic.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

Squirrel shit?