The New York Times reports that after a record high in many parts of the Northeastern U.S. last year, this year is seeing record lows in acorn production. The extremes go from trees producing less than a pound this year to 250 pounds last year. Average production is 25 to 30 pounds per oak tree. The reasons for the low production of acorns is not really known. Possible consequences of the small acorn crop are:
- decreased populations of squirrels, field mice and acorn eating birds
- ticks, including some with lyme disease will seek humans hosts due to decreased mouse population
- increase in deer deaths on roads as they search for new food sources
Read more at the New York Times Boom and Bust in Acorns Will Affect Many Creatures, Including Humans
Natural History Wanderings 
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By: Got Nuts? « Once A River on February 1, 2012
at 7:20 PM