Have you noticed the abundance of acorns this year? Is this the forecast of a severe winter?
An unusually heavy acorn crop does not predict a harsh winter. It signals a mast year, a natural cycle in which oaks produce far more acorns than usual, often every two to five years. This abundance supports a survival strategy called predator satiation: squirrels, deer, and birds cannot eat every acorn, leaving some to germinate on the forest floor. Moderate temperatures, a mild spring, and broader weather and climate conditions may help trigger a mast year. Because producing such a large crop requires substantial energy, oaks may spend the following years recovering. A large oak that typically drops about 2,000 acorns may produce as many as 10,000 in a mast year.
New England is home to two main groups of oaks: red oaks and white oaks, along with their subspecies. Red oaks are more common and have leaves with pointed lobes, while white oaks have leaves with rounded lobes.
Oaks mature slowly. Red oaks may begin producing acorns after 20 to 30 years, while white oaks may take 50 to 200 years. Peak acorn production can take 50 to 100 years.
The extra food available during a mast year may increase squirrel and deer populations, but many other factors also affect their numbers.