The float test as a method to determine acorn viability and activity of insect herbivores during masting and non-masting years in Quercus garryana

IF 3.7 2区农林科学 Q1 FORESTRY

Forest Ecology and Management Pub Date : 2025-09-16 DOI:10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123159

Anastasia L. Popchock, Gareth R. Hopkins, Oswaldo A. Moreno, Angela R. Bullock, Ava R. Howard

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Oak habitats are declining globally, creating concern for the biodiversity they support. The acorn float test is a widely relied-upon technique for oak conservationists to identify damaged acorns due to its simplicity and speed. However, the biological basis and accuracy of the float test are not well studied. This study used acorns from Oregon white oaks (Quercus garryana Douglas ex Hook.) collected in both masting (2019, 2023) and non-masting (2021) years to examine the biological basis and accuracy of the test for application in oak habitat conservation efforts. Acorns were float tested, examined for damage and presence of insects, and germinated to determine whether the test could detect insect damage and acorn viability. The test accurately predicted 84–89 % of germination in both masting and non-masting years. External and internal examinations for damage yielded significant associations between damage and float test results, damage and acorn density, and insect infestation and float test results. Our data indicate that the float test does have a biological basis in insect-caused damage and is a legitimate method to rely on for quickly determining acorn viability. This technique holds practical applications for ecologists and managers in estimating viable acorn crop size, insect predation rates, and wildlife food availability in oak ecosystems.

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用浮子试验方法测定了栎果在结荚期和非结荚期的活力和食虫动物的活动

全球范围内，橡树的栖息地正在减少，这引起了人们对它们所支持的生物多样性的担忧。橡子浮动测试是橡树保护主义者广泛使用的一种技术，用于识别受损的橡子，因为它简单快捷。然而，浮子试验的生物学基础和准确性尚未得到很好的研究。本研究使用俄勒冈州白栎树（Quercus garryana Douglas ex Hook.）在2019年、2023年和2021年采集的橡子，以检验该测试在橡树栖息地保护工作中应用的生物学基础和准确性。橡子浮子测试，检查损害和昆虫的存在，并发芽，以确定测试是否可以检测昆虫损害和橡子的活力。该试验对苗期和非苗期的发芽率预测准确率为84-89 %。损伤的外部和内部检查表明，损伤与浮子试验结果、损伤与橡子密度、虫害与浮子试验结果之间存在显著关联。我们的数据表明，浮子试验在昆虫造成的损害中确实有生物学基础，是一种快速确定橡子活力的合法方法。这项技术对生态学家和管理者在估算橡树生态系统中可行的橡子产量、昆虫捕食率和野生动物食物可用性方面具有实际应用价值。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Forest Ecology and Management 农林科学-林学

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

10.80%

发文量

665

审稿时长

39 days

期刊介绍： Forest Ecology and Management publishes scientific articles linking forest ecology with forest management, focusing on the application of biological, ecological and social knowledge to the management and conservation of plantations and natural forests. The scope of the journal includes all forest ecosystems of the world. A peer-review process ensures the quality and international interest of the manuscripts accepted for publication. The journal encourages communication between scientists in disparate fields who share a common interest in ecology and forest management, bridging the gap between research workers and forest managers. We encourage submission of papers that will have the strongest interest and value to the Journal''s international readership. Some key features of papers with strong interest include: 1. Clear connections between the ecology and management of forests; 2. Novel ideas or approaches to important challenges in forest ecology and management; 3. Studies that address a population of interest beyond the scale of single research sites, Three key points in the design of forest experiments, Forest Ecology and Management 255 (2008) 2022-2023); 4. Review Articles on timely, important topics. Authors are welcome to contact one of the editors to discuss the suitability of a potential review manuscript. The Journal encourages proposals for special issues examining important areas of forest ecology and management. Potential guest editors should contact any of the Editors to begin discussions about topics, potential papers, and other details.