East Plains Wilderness, A PBX Hike

ecampbell

Piney
Jan 2, 2003
2,840
958
Black Gum do whats known as fruit flagging.Their leaves turn early,usually maroon or purple.They turn early to alert the birds that their drupes are ripe and ready for eating so the birds can squirt them out else where and make more Black Gum.Sassafrass is also a fruit flgger.
Very helpful, I never knew why.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,153
4,258
Pines; Bamber area
Black Gum do whats known as fruit flagging.Their leaves turn early,usually maroon or purple.They turn early to alert the birds that their drupes are ripe and ready for eating so the birds can squirt them out else where and make more Black Gum.Sassafrass is also a fruit flgger.

Have you been reading the Farmers Almanac again? Did you ask the birds? :D

Sorry Al. I am always suspicious of this kind of folklore. But, I do have an open mind. If someone grew 100 trees, and only one was colorful, and they found the birds did not land on any other but the colorful one, I'd think differently. But then again, it might lead to more questions....can they see the ripe fruit?

Edit: Okay, I read at least one study. It may be that the hypotheses is correct. I will step back and admit your statement is more likely true than not.

http://hmf.rutgers.edu/Pubs up to 1982/Stiles 1982b.pdf
 
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GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,111
434
Little Egg Harbor
I've heard of fruit flagging before. It was so long ago I'd forgotten about it until Al brought it up and I can't remember where I heard or read it. Like Bob, I'm both suspicious and open-minded about such things. While it does make sense, there are plenty of other woody shrubs and trees that have colorful fall foliage, but are not an important wildlife food, or do not produce edible seeds at the time of peak color, such as Red Maple. Some things seem logical but are hard or impossible to prove. But then maybe we don't have to prove everything.
 
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bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,153
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Pines; Bamber area
Some things seem logical but are hard or impossible to prove. But then maybe we don't have to prove everything.

Another issue is how the tree supposedly created this strategy for more fruitful (pun intended) procreation by manipulating it's DNA in order to entice birds in a timely manner. That must be a really hard one to prove.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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Birds can see color as well as we can.Thats why the males are so colorful because the females are attracted to them.I don't believe a tree can manipulate it's own DNA.DNA is a code so therefore had to have a writer.I won't get into that here but I"d say the early fall foliage was written into the code for a purpose.DNA also has triggers all through the code for turning things off and on so if early truning would be to an advantage in one locale abut not in another you might see the same species doing different things in different locations.Long as the possibility is within the code.New info cannot arise on it's own,that would be like saying a book can write itself.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
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millville nj
www.youtube.com
Have you been reading the Farmers Almanac again? Did you ask the birds? :D

Sorry Al. I am always suspicious of this kind of folklore. But, I do have an open mind. If someone grew 100 trees, and only one was colorful, and they found the birds did not land on any other but the colorful one, I'd think differently. But then again, it might lead to more questions....can they see the ripe fruit?

Edit: Okay, I read at least one study. It may be that the hypotheses is correct. I will step back and admit your statement is more likely true than not.

http://hmf.rutgers.edu/Pubs up to 1982/Stiles 1982b.pdf
Actually I was reading
"Eastern Forests" A Peterson field guide on the ecology of the Eastern Forests.
 
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Nomad

New Member
Mar 21, 2018
5
0
Central New Jersey
Dear All:
I'm new to this forum. Looking for folks who like old maps and going out in the field to find long lost places. I am a search and rescue volunteer, some military experience, and a landscape designer now and then. Bit of a local historian - I live outside of New Brunswick - and an occasional writer. Always working on some historical research, but I'm very discreet when it comes to sensitive sites like burial grounds. Introduced to the Pine Barrens a few years ago for SAR training and some searches, and now I'm fascinated by the region. Looking forward to doing some exploring...

"Nomad"
 

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,504
2,766
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Looking for folks who like old maps and going out in the field to find long lost places.

Welcome aboard Nomad! You can download historical topo maps from my site, and my Map of the Pines HD includes many historical features that you won't find elsewhere. They work on your computer, smartphone or dedicated GPS - and they're free. https://boydsmaps.com
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,181
Well, I have been sick for three days. I guess falling into a steam and walking for an hour is not a good thing to do this time of year.
 
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