American Scientist

This autumn, the vast hardwood forests of North America could be chock full of acorns, a pulse of resources that will cascade through the ecosystem, affecting mice, birds and other wildlife for years to come. Over far-flung areas virtually all the oaks of the same species, and perhaps more than one species, are already gearing up to produce the seed crop of the decade. Or not. In fact, there may be almost no acorns, and a substantial proportion of the wildlife will starve or have to eat something else.