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Pine Cone Population
Name: John G.
Status: other
Age: 50s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 1999-2001
Question:
we have 4 pine trees in our front yard. if I were to
number them across the yard from 1 to 4 in order, number 2 and 4 have
lots of pine cones, number 1 and 3 have none and one (honest)respectively.
Why does one tree have lots and the tree next to it have none?
Replies:
Many possible factors:
mast years (cycle of cone production, much some years, fewer other years),
age, microhabitat (moisture, sun, shade), pathology, insects, ...
Anthony R. Brach
What species of pines? Are they all the same? Are they roughly the same age
and size? Where are you? Answers to these questions might help answer yours,
but even so, solving these kinds of questions from a distance is always
difficult, since individual conditions can vary so much. I can say that
pines are self-pollinated, and that cone production often varies widely -
trees have individual characteristics just as other creatures do. Beyond
that I couldn't even guess.
J. Elliott
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Update: June 2012
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