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Bishops Mills Natural History Centre - http://pinic ---2114655128-1808040968-1352643595=:14401 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable A very interesting question Rick.=A0=0AA book would more fully cover the su= bject than a NSNature post but=0AI've no intention to write a book - too ma= ny out there now by=0Afolks who didn't know what they were writing about - = LOL=0AAnyway I grow a number of Rhododendrons and have learned much=0Aabout= their life cycle from them. The same life cycle applies to all woody plant= s=0Awith of course variations between species and between plants of the sam= e species.=0AAs a rule plants that adapt to the north have a determinate me= thod of growth=0Athose that grow farther south have an indeterminate =A0cyc= le of growth.=0AWhat that means is determinate plants grow a set amount eac= h year, stop growing=0Aand as we say "Harden up". Indeterminate plants - ma= gnolias for example keep=0Agrowing as long as conditions permit.=0APart of = the growth cycle is the production of a growing point for the next cycle of= growth.=0AThe growing point will have a main =A0bud for leader and a numbe= r of side buds for the branch leaders.=0AA semaphore at some point directs = the main bud to be either a flower bud or a vegetative bud.=0ASome Rhodie v= arities will even have the side buds develop into flower buds.=A0=0AGreat E= astern is an example which blooms so heavily it will sometimes kill itself.= =0AThe semaphore is probably the level of sugars in the growing point.=0ATh= is is easily seen in Rhodies because the flower buds swell and are easily i= dentified=0Aas the summer progress so we can observe the flower buds are pr= oduced in late June or July.=A0=0ANot so easy to see on spruce trees.=0APla= nt growers in Japan have long studied this aspect of growth and have found = if the vegetative growth=0Ais restricted the plant will produce more sugar = - hence more flowers. They have developed techniques=0Ato accomplish this. = They even found a beer brewed in some fashion would accomplish=0Athe task i= f sprayed on the plants just as they started their annual growth spurt. Nee= dless to=0Asay chemists isolated the active substance and made it in a lab = and is now used in greenhouses.=0AIf you go to a plant store in May you wil= l see red rhodies just covered with buds - no accident!=0AAnyway this could= get too long and my Bluejay wants peanuts for breakfast!=0AHave a nice fal= l=0APaul=0A=0A=0A________________________________=0A From: Rick Whitman <de= ndroica.caerulescens@gmail.com>=0ATo: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca =0ASent: Satu= rday, November 10, 2012 3:31:43 PM=0ASubject: [NatureNS] Seed Cropping Stra= tegy in Trees=0A =0ASomeone here knows more than I do. I think your focus i= s too much on=0Athe negatives, to start with. I believe most tree seed crop= s, both=0Ahardwood & softwood, are strongly cyclical over large areas. The= =0Acycles may be pushed, or damped, from time to time by extreme good /=0Ab= ad growing seasons, but I believe they will carry on regardless. As=0Ayou w= ill know from your apple background, a very large crop one year=0Awill almo= st always be followed by a small crop the next. The trees=0Asimply don't ha= ve the resources to produce large crops every year.=0A=0AA fruit grower mod= ulates crop load by hand thinners or chemical=0Athinners. No such thing exi= sts in the wild and it's not obvious that=0Athe trees would benefit from su= ch. We think too much about how nuts=0Aare spread around by birds and squir= rels, to the trees' benefit. We=0Aneed to remember that this is not the cas= e at all for most or all=0Asoftwoods & many hardwoods. I'm sure there are m= inor exceptions=0A(carried seeds being lost) but overall conifers, maples, = ash, birch=0Aetc. ALL distribute their seeds by the wind. Seed eating birds= are=0APREDATORS and nothing more.=0A=0ATherefore, it makes perfect evoluti= onary sense for widespread=0Apopulations of trees to synchronize their seed= crops & overwhelm these=0Apredators with abundance, in a highly cyclic fas= hion. The trees have=0Ano "interest" in feeding these birds. The trees that= are out of sync=0Awill be heavily predated & will not reproduce.=0A=0ANow,= someone can give the correct story.=0A=0ARick Whitman=0A=0AOn Sat, Nov 10,= 2012 at 10:07 AM, David & Alison Webster=0A<dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:=0A>= Hi Rick & All,=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Nov 10, 2012=0A>=A0 = =A0 Is the distribution of this poor seed crop in 2012 associated with=0A> = distribution of dry weather this year (poor set or poor development) or wit= h=0A> adverse conditions in 2011 (fewer cones/flower buds) ?=0A> Yt, Dave W= ebster, Kentville=0A> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Whitman"=0A>= <dendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com>=0A> To: "naturens" <naturens@chebucto.n= s.ca>=0A> Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 1:34 PM=0A> Subject: [NatureNS= ] Winter Finch Forecast, Other Northern Birds=0A>=0A>=0A>> I'm pretty sure = I didn't post Ron Pittaway's forecast for this winter=0A>> before. He predi= cted a big move out of the eastern North woods, but=0A>> they will only sta= y here in numbers if they like the conditions. I do=0A>> have my doubts abo= ut our coniferous cone crop & his article implies=0A>> the same:=0A>>=0A>> = "The theme this winter is that each finch species will use a different=0A>>= strategy to deal with the widespread tree seed crop failure in the=0A>> No= rtheast. It will be a quiet winter in the eastern North Woods. See=0A>> ind= ividual species forecasts for details. Both coniferous and hardwood=0A>> tr= ee seed crops are generally poor from northeastern Ontario extending=0A>> e= astward across Quebec to Newfoundland south through the Maritime=0A>> Provi= nces, New York and New England States. Within the Northeast there=0A>> are = pockets of good crops. Cone crops are much better in the Hudson=0A>> Bay Lo= wlands and northwestern Ontario west to Alberta, Northwest=0A>> Territories= and Yukon. Three irruptive non-finch passerines whose=0A>> movements are l= inked to finches are also discussed."=0A>>=0A>> His article is here:=0A>>= =0A>> http://www.jeaniron.ca/2012/finchforecast2012.htm=0A>>=0A>> A number = of you have been seeing Evening Grosbeaks & since Nov. 4 Ken=0A>> McKenna &= Dominic Cormier have reported Pine Grosbeaks on eBird. I=0A>> also had 3 P= ine Grosbeaks in my yard at White Rock yesterday. I don't=0A>> see any eBir= d reports of Common Redpolls in NS yet. Today I had 46 at=0A>> Horton Landi= ng feeding in birches. So I've already seen 2 winter=0A>> finches that in s= ome years I don't see all winter. It must be a winter=0A>> finch year.=0A>>= =0A>> On a somewhat related note, I saw all of the following on the Grand= =0A>> Pre dykelands today: Horned Lark, American Pipit, Lapland Longspur &= =0A>> Snow Bunting. These have all been "around" but this speaks of winter= =0A>> to me.=0A>>=0A>> Rick Whitman ---2114655128-1808040968-1352643595=:14401 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:ti= mes new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>A very int= eresting question Rick. </span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0)= ; font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif= ; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span>A book would mo= re fully cover the subject than a NSNature post but</span></div><div style= =3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', '= new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;= "><span>I've no intention to write a book - too many out there now by</span= ></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'ti= mes new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; fo= nt-style: normal;"><span>folks who didn't know what they were writing about= - LOL</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color= : transparent; font-style: normal;"><span>Anyway I grow a number of Rhodode= ndrons and have learned much</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);= font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;= background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span>about their life= cycle from them. The same life cycle applies to all woody plants</span></d= iv><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times = new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-s= tyle: normal;"><span>with of course variations between species and between = plants of the same species.</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); = font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; = background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">As a rule plants that a= dapt to the north have a determinate method of growth</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new rom= an', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: n= ormal;">those that grow farther south have an indeterminate cycle of = growth.</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-famil= y: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transpare= nt; font-style: normal;">What that means is determinate plants grow a set a= mount each year, stop growing</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-= size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; backg= round-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">and as we say "Harden up". I= ndeterminate plants - magnolias for example keep</div><div style=3D"color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', = times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">growing a= s long as conditions permit.</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;= background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">Part of the growth cyc= le is the production of a growing point for the next cycle of growth.</div>= <div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new= roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-styl= e: normal;">The growing point will have a main bud for leader and a n= umber of side buds for the branch leaders.</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0,= 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times,= serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">A semaphore at = some point directs the main bud to be either a flower bud or a vegetative b= ud.</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: '= times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; = font-style: normal;">Some Rhodie varities will even have the side buds develop into flower buds. </div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); fo= nt-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; ba= ckground-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">Great Eastern is an examp= le which blooms so heavily it will sometimes kill itself.</div><div style= =3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', '= new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;= ">The semaphore is probably the level of sugars in the growing point.</div>= <div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new= roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-styl= e: normal;">This is easily seen in Rhodies because the flower buds swell an= d are easily identified</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: = 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-= color: transparent; font-style: normal;">as the summer progress so we can observe the flower buds are produced in late June or July. </div><div= style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new rom= an', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: n= ormal;">Not so easy to see on spruce trees.</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0= , 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times= , serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">Plant growers = in Japan have long studied this aspect of growth and have found if the vege= tative growth</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font= -family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: tra= nsparent; font-style: normal;">is restricted the plant will produce more su= gar - hence more flowers. They have developed techniques</div><div style=3D= "color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new= york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">t= o accomplish this. They even found a beer brewed in some fashion would accom= plish</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family:= 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent= ; font-style: normal;">the task if sprayed on the plants just as they start= ed their annual growth spurt. Needless to</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, = 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, = serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">say chemists iso= lated the active substance and made it in a lab and is now used in greenhou= ses.</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: = 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent;= font-style: normal;">If you go to a plant store in May you will see red rh= odies just covered with buds - no accident!</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0= , 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times= , serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">Anyway this cou= ld get too long and my Bluejay wants peanuts for breakfast!</div><div style= =3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', '= new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;= ">Have a nice fall</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px;= font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color= : transparent; font-style: normal;">Paul</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0= , 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, s= erif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br></div> <div = style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-siz= e: 12pt;"> <div style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times,= serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial= "> <hr size=3D"1"> <b><span style=3D"font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> R= ick Whitman <dendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com><br> <b><span style=3D"font-weight= : bold;">To:</span></b> naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <br> <b><span style=3D"font= -weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Saturday, November 10, 2012 3:31:43 PM<br>= <b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [NatureNS] Seed = Cropping Strategy in Trees<br> </font> </div> <br>Someone here knows more t= han I do. I think your focus is too much on<br>the negatives, to start with= . I believe most tree seed crops, both<br>hardwood & softwood, are stro= ngly cyclical over large areas. The<br>cycles may be pushed, or damped, fro= m time to time by extreme good /<br>bad growing seasons, but I believe they= will carry on regardless. As<br>you will know from your apple background, = a very large crop one year<br>will almost always be followed by a small cro= p the next. The trees<br>simply don't have the resources to produce large c= rops every year.<br><br>A fruit grower modulates crop load by hand thinners or chemical<br>thinners. No such thing exists in the wild and it'= s not obvious that<br>the trees would benefit from such. We think too much = about how nuts<br>are spread around by birds and squirrels, to the trees' b= enefit. We<br>need to remember that this is not the case at all for most or= all<br>softwoods & many hardwoods. I'm sure there are minor exceptions= <br>(carried seeds being lost) but overall conifers, maples, ash, birch<br>= etc. ALL distribute their seeds by the wind. Seed eating birds are<br>PREDA= TORS and nothing more.<br><br>Therefore, it makes perfect evolutionary sens= e for widespread<br>populations of trees to synchronize their seed crops &a= mp; overwhelm these<br>predators with abundance, in a highly cyclic fashion= . The trees have<br>no "interest" in feeding these birds. The trees that ar= e out of sync<br>will be heavily predated & will not reproduce.<br><br>= Now, someone can give the correct story.<br><br>Rick Whitman<br><br>On Sat, Nov 10, 2012 at 10:07 AM, David & Alison Webste= r<br><<a ymailto=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com" href=3D"mailto:dwebster@g= linx.com">dwebster@glinx.com</a>> wrote:<br>> Hi Rick & All, = ; Nov 10, 20= 12<br>> Is the distribution of this poor seed crop in 2012 = associated with<br>> distribution of dry weather this year (poor set or = poor development) or with<br>> adverse conditions in 2011 (fewer cones/f= lower buds) ?<br>> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville<br>> ----- Original Me= ssage ----- From: "Rick Whitman"<br>> <<a ymailto=3D"mailto:dendroica= .caerulescens@gmail.com" href=3D"mailto:dendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com">d= endroica.caerulescens@gmail.com</a>><br>> To: "naturens" <<a ymail= to=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.c= a">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a>><br>> Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 20= 12 1:34 PM<br>> Subject: [NatureNS] Winter Finch Forecast, Other Northern = Birds<br>><br>><br>>> I'm pretty sure I didn't post Ron Pittawa= y's forecast for this winter<br>>> before. He predicted a big move ou= t of the eastern North woods, but<br>>> they will only stay here in n= umbers if they like the conditions. I do<br>>> have my doubts about o= ur coniferous cone crop & his article implies<br>>> the same:<br>= >><br>>> "The theme this winter is that each finch species will= use a different<br>>> strategy to deal with the widespread tree seed= crop failure in the<br>>> Northeast. It will be a quiet winter in th= e eastern North Woods. See<br>>> individual species forecasts for det= ails. Both coniferous and hardwood<br>>> tree seed crops are generall= y poor from northeastern Ontario extending<br>>> eastward across Queb= ec to Newfoundland south through the Maritime<br>>> Provinces, New York and New England States. Within the Northeast there<br>>> ar= e pockets of good crops. Cone crops are much better in the Hudson<br>>&g= t; Bay Lowlands and northwestern Ontario west to Alberta, Northwest<br>>= > Territories and Yukon. Three irruptive non-finch passerines whose<br>&= gt;> movements are linked to finches are also discussed."<br>>><br= >>> His article is here:<br>>><br>>> <a href=3D"http://ww= w.jeaniron.ca/2012/finchforecast2012.htm" target=3D"_blank">http://www.jean= iron.ca/2012/finchforecast2012.htm</a><br>>><br>>> A number of = you have been seeing Evening Grosbeaks & since Nov. 4 Ken<br>>> M= cKenna & Dominic Cormier have reported Pine Grosbeaks on eBird. I<br>&g= t;> also had 3 Pine Grosbeaks in my yard at White Rock yesterday. I don'= t<br>>> see any eBird reports of Common Redpolls in NS yet. Today I h= ad 46 at<br>>> Horton Landing feeding in birches. So I've already seen 2 winter<br>>> finches that in some years I don't see all winte= r. It must be a winter<br>>> finch year.<br>>><br>>> On a= somewhat related note, I saw all of the following on the Grand<br>>>= Pre dykelands today: Horned Lark, American Pipit, Lapland Longspur &<b= r>>> Snow Bunting. These have all been "around" but this speaks of wi= nter<br>>> to me.<br>>><br>>> Rick Whitman<br><br><br> </= div> </div> </div></body></html> ---2114655128-1808040968-1352643595=:14401--
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