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A Quick Visit to Oak Seedlings Planted in Recent Years

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The landscape in the Eastern Carpathians is mainly greyish-brown in the absence of snow, with rosehips as the only bright spots. The oak seedlings planted in 2021 ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/eniMoiyD2YYa9kEw5 ) are also brownish-yellow, covered by the dry leaves from the previous planting season.

The tendency of pedunculate (Quercus robur) and sessile oaks (Quercus petraea) to retain their leaves through winter is a phenomenon called marcescence.


There are many theories behind this phenomenon:

  1. Protection for New Buds from harsh winter conditions
  2. Nutrient Cycling - When the leaves finally fall in spring, their nutrients (e.g., nitrogen) are released into the soil closer to the growing season, when the tree can better utilize them.
  3. Herbivore Deterrence - Dead leaves can make twigs less palatable and harder to access for browsing herbivores.
  4. Wind Resistance - minimizing the drying effects of winter winds on delicate branches.


Oaks (genus Quercus) originally evolved in tropical regions millions of years ago and later adapted to a wide range of climates, including temperate zones.

This strategy could simply be part of a still-ongoing genetic adaptation to temperate climates with cold winters!






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