Mast (botany)

Mast is a term that is used in forestry and the hunter language and generally represents the fruits of beech, oak and chestnut. The fruits of the wild fruit trees are also included. Trees with strong fruit notes are also called masts.

Mast year

The seeds of these trees are very contain energy, so that a mast year for the trees means a considerable effort. A large part of the assimilation is spent in such a year for seed production. The wood growth by going back strongly, which can be traced to the annual rings. The time interval between two mast years varies by region and is six to ten years.

For the trees, the mast is but a survival strategy and a protective mechanism against predators. In the lean years, when little seeds are formed, for example, bank voles and squirrels can not multiply so strong. Then uses a mast year, the tree produces significantly more seeds than the herbivores can utilize, and there remains sufficient seed for a new generation of trees left.

It differs depending on fruit set:

• Full Mast: all trees of a stand fruchten strong
• Half-mast: fruiting about half of the trees
• Avalanche Tower: bear fruit only individual trees
• Failure Mast: fruchten no tree or only a few trees

History

The term mast goes back to times when the forests were still used intensively for agriculture in addition to logging. During this time fruitful seed years were good years for the local population, which drove their cattle to graze in the forests, which were also referred to as Hutewald or lard pasture. In a seed by the cattle was well fed and fattened. Although this form of use of the past consulted, is the term still creates a link to this form of use of the forest.

Use

In silviculture the years of explosive mast be used for seed production or stand of natural forest regeneration are available. In mast years, the bank vole increased above average. In such Gradationsjahren occurs in the endemic areas of Hanta viruses propagated - triggered by the virus - disease in humans in the form of haemorrhagic fever.

Hunter language

In the hunter language the term mast is also quite generally for the lining of wild boar and badgers as well as for the Äsung of deer. There are the upper mast, the mast is composed of the tree ( the seeds of the masts ) and other above-ground seeds and fruits. As earth or under the mast feeding on wild boar and badger is called, which is located in the ground and consists of beetles, larvae, worms, roots, etc.. Break badger and wild boar, or sting this food out of the earth, which can cause extensive damage to agriculture. In full mast years hunting difficult for wild boar, as it avoids the feeding place due to the abundant food in the forest, where it can usually be safely approached and killed.