Seasonal Mast Availability for Wildlife in the Piedmont Region of Georgia

1990), however, argued that the combination of all other mast-producing species is of equal or greater importance than oak to both game and nongame wildlife. This conclusion was reached because oak and hickory mast is usually available only in fall and winter, and annual yields vary widely. We measured mast production by traditional and buffer species for 2 years on the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. Our objectives were to determine how these two types varied on a seasonal, a n n u a l , a n d h a b i t a t b a s i s . Mast from buffer species was more frequent a n d d i v e r s e t h a n t h a t f r o m t r a d i t i o n a l m a s t p r o d u c e r s . O u r f i n d i n g s s u g g e s t t h a t a l t h o u g h t r a d i t i o n a l m a s t s p e c i e s a r e i m p o r t a n t , b u f f e r species may play an equally important seasonal role in maintaining a n n u a l d i v e r s i t y .