Canadian Forest Service Publications
Viability of white spruce seed from squirrel-cut cones. 1964. Wagg, J.W.B. Forestry Chronicle 40(1): 98-110.
Year: 1964
Issued by: Northern Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 30438
Language: English
Availability: Order paper copy (free), PDF (request by e-mail)
Abstract
A study was made of the viability of white spruce, Picea glauca, seed obtained from seven cone caches of red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus. Habits of the red squirrel, relation of seed viability to cone-caching activities and the relation of viability of seed obtained from the cached cones to the cones on the trees are described.
Viability of see from cached cones does not vary between the time squirrels began to cache cones in quantity and the time the last cones are cached. Seed from the cached cones showed a higher percentage of viability than seed of cones collected from trees, because some of the mature seed had fallen from the partially open cones on the trees resulting in an increase in the percentage of undeveloped seed in progressive cone collections.