Drought conditions and acorn production

Hoytvectrix

5 year old buck +
Seeing as how the drought has been exceptional in MN and other areas this summer, is it reasonable to assume the acorn mast this year has been negatively affected?

I've been out scouting some pubic land in central MN and have found almost no acorns (in trees or on the ground) in many pieces where black and white oaks dominate the woods.

Has anyone else been seeing the same? If this is the case, and no to little Ag is present, what else would you recommend keying in on for deer feeding early to mid-season?
 
i've always thought that drought causes heavier acorn production. the trees "feel" the need to reproduce.
 
i've always thought that drought causes heavier acorn production. the trees "feel" the need to reproduce.
I know some plants do go into a reproductive faze early if they are stressed, but I would have to think the lack of water limits their ability to produce more resources than in a stressful year.

Anyone seeing more or less the same acorn production as normal years in MN?
 
That’s one thing I’ve never paid attention to.


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I’ve seen many small acorns this year on West Central Mn… or no acorns .

My yard had a bunch that fell on our deck however ? Bur Oak
 

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Bur oaks here are dropping heavier than usual amounts here in Isanti county Minnesota.

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As I understand it acorn production is greatly influenced by weather conditions at time of flowering in the spring. The flowers are highly susceptible to one or another fungal diseases. Dryness at flowering is a positive. Drought after the acorn is in development would affect acorn size I would think. Many desirable oaks produce an abundance of acorns intermittently over a period of years. Around my area white oaks producer a 'bumper' crop about every five to seven years. What we call pin oaks almost always produce something every year but total production has its ups and downs.
 
Exactly what Farmer Dan said above plus oaks are wind pollinated. If there is a lot of rain during pollination, you will have low to no acorn crop in addition to the cyclical production of some types.
 
I haven’t been looking up in the trees much, but I have a fair amount dropping already, but they are smaller then normal I would say. I will be out and about in the woods today, so I will try to pay attention to the amount in the trees.
 
I am finding way more acorns than expected, it actually looks like a good year!
 
The acorn crop in SE MN appears to be about normal in my area.
 
My burr oak trees in west central MN are producing tons of large acorns this year, much to my surprise. I was expecting stunted nuts but that is not the case. I've even found some older trees producing that are not consistent producers. Since I wasn't able to put in food plots due to the drought, I'm pleased to see such a heavy acorn crop.
 
Trying to understand oaks and acorn production has been one of my life's more fascinating pursuits. Make of that what you will!
Individual observations and experiences are valuable. I also find great value in diving deeper into research based science. Today, I find scientists unloved and misunderstood. Like with any other endeavor and profession there are good one's and bad one's. I hope I've personally been able to recognize both. Make of that what you will!
This may sound presumptuous and I don't mean for it to be. As I travel life's hard road I read the research and try to bring it to a different more understandable level. Sometime I can, other times I don't.

Here go's....


I found this: https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/other/oak_sym/oak_symposium_proceedings_044.pdf. Feel free to read it. It's research paper based on the research of others. There's a word to describe it but it escapes me.

Here are a few points I found I wanted to share-about oaks and acorn production.
1. There's a lot can happen to an acorn from the time the flower is produced and pollinated, the fruit begins growing, and finally hits the ground, most of it bad!
2. Not all oak species are created equal. Generalizations are rarely useful. What we might understand about a white oak may not apply to a red oak, for example.
3. But, all species of oaks are abundant flower producers, both male and female - on the same tree. So, the quantity of flowers on a given tree is not the cause limiting acorn production.
4. The problem is with pollination, or the fertilization of the "egg." The problems are all climate related (as opposed to the tree's fertility). A scientist would lynch me for putting in that way...
5. Various climatic factors, such as wind, late frost, prolonged rain, relative humidity, and temperature affect successful pollination.
6. A study in Pennsylvania showed that good crops of white oak acorns were obtained when a warm 10-day period in late April was followed by a cool period in May. So, here's the science problem. Does what happens in Pennsylvania apply to white oaks where you are?
7. Here's a surprise to me. White oak acorn production begins one month after pollination. For red oaks, 13-months!
8. The greatest loss of production is when the immature acorn falls off the tree before maturity. See number 7.
9. Canopy density is directly related to production. A tree with a small canopy produces the same amount of acorns per unit of measure (think acorns per cubic foot of canopy) as a tree with a large canopy. Here's my take on that. If you have one oak tree in a sea of maples, reducing the number of surrounding maple trees will allow the oak tree to develop a larger canopy. In an oak forest, thinning oaks will have no impact on acorn production. In fact, it might reduce production.
10. And finally, lots of acorns never make it. Two groups of insects, nut weevils and gall insects, cause the largest losses, but the list of other causes is long!

And, so, like our weather, we take what the Good Lord gives us!
 
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