Researchers Unravel a Beech Tree Mystery

European beech trees pull off a remarkable feat that has fascinated scientists for some time, and according to Quanta Magazine, researchers have just made a big advance in understanding it. The study, published in Nature Plants, shines light into how trees across the entire continent synchronize so they are all seeding at the exact same time—and it appears to be linked to the summer solstice.

• Mass masting: The process of trees coordinating reproduction is called masting, and while it's common in many species over smaller distances, what's happening with European beeches is unusual. From London to Rome, across different climates and time zones, the trees begin creating all the seeds they'll produce in a year over a handful of days.
• 'Celestial starting gun:' Traditional theories on masting rely on weather changes that trees pick up on, which doesn't add up over such a large geographical expanse. This new theory looks at the trees' ability to time masting around the summer solstice, when they experience peak sunlight, allowing them to simultaneously drop their fruit in sync. Researchers refer to the idea, gleaned from 60 years of data, as the "celestial starting gun," per Quanta.
• Incredible feat: "What's truly jaw-dropping is that the change in day length that the trees are able to detect is really small," says study co-author Jessie Foest of the University of Liverpool, per a release at Phys.org. "We are talking about a few minutes over a week. Apparently, trees are able to recognize the difference." Adds University of Milan ecologist Giorgio Vacchiano: "It is striking to find such a sharp change one day after the solstice. It doesn't look random."
• What's next? Finding out how the trees are able to do this is their top priority. The researchers, who span multiple universities and countries, are now collaborating with molecular biologists to learn what mechanisms trees use to sense the solstice.

(More beech trees stories.)