Seed Fall in an Old-Growth Northern Hardwood Forest

摘要

Seed fall was measured for 11 years in a 200-year-old stand of sugar maple,yellow birch, and beech in New Hampshire. Yellow birch had 5 good seed years, sugar maple had 3, and beech had none. Viable seed fall of yellow birch began in August and continued through autumn and winter. Most of the viable sugar maple seed fell during a short period in October. Beech seed fall occurred slightly later than sugar maple. Seed losses caused by pollination or fertilization failure, abortion, incomplete development, insects, small mammals, and birds averaged about 2/3 of the total seed fall, but varied widely among years.