#mast seeding

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A New Beginning for a Legendary Bird: Welcoming the First Kākāpō Chick of 2026

Tīwhiri-A1-2026 pictured on its hatch day (above) and at one day old (below) being weighed by Ranger Maddy. Photos |DOC The kākāpō—Aotearoa New Zealand’s charismatic, moss‑green, nocturnal parrot—has just welcomed a precious new arrival. After four long years without a single hatch, the first chick of the 2026 breeding season has made its debut, marking a moment of hope for one of the world’s…

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To Fruit or Not to Fruit - The Story of Mast Seeding

To Fruit or Not to Fruit – The Story of Mast Seeding

Perennial plants that are able to reproduce multiple times during their lifetime don’t always yield the same amount of seeds each time they reproduce. For some of these plants, there is a stark difference between high-yield years and low-yield years, with low-yield years outnumbering the occasional high-yield years. In years when yields are high, fruit production can seem excessive. This…

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When Acorn Masts, Rodents, and Lyme Disease Collide

When Acorn Masts, Rodents, and Lyme Disease Collide

“‘Mast years’ is an old term used to describe years when beeches and oaks set seed. In these years of plenty, wild boar can triple their birth rate because they find enough to eat in the forestes over the winter… The year following a mast year, wild boar numbers usually crash because the beeches and oaks are taking a time-out and the forest floor is bare once again.” — The Hidden Life of Trees by…

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