The document discusses a study that tested the effect of adding phosphorus and nitrogen on red maple seed production. It found that while red maple trees can change sex from year to year and with nutrient changes, adding phosphorus and nitrogen did not significantly increase red maple seed counts collected from litter, possibly due to seed predation by small mammals interfering with results. The study aims to improve its seed collection design to account for this factor.

1. The Effect Of Phosphorus And Nitrogen Addition
On Red Maple (Acer rubrum) Seed Production
Laurel Brigham
University Of California, San Diego, CA
 Singularly male or female trees, or
trees with both male and female
branches
 Can change on a yearly basis and
with altered nutrients
 Tested whether nutrient addition
increased seed production
 This may occur as a result of
increasing the female proportions
of a given tree or causing male
trees to become female
 A. rubrum seeds were collected from
spring litter, but a significant treatment
effect was not detected
 Need to improve the seed collection
design to reduce potential predation by
small mammals C N P NP
Treatment
RedMapleSeedCount
0.00.40.81.2