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The Acorn Connections

Clive G. Jones
Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Gypsy Moth defoliation and Lyme disease are major problems in eastern US oak forests. Using a combination of long-term studies and large-scale experiments, Richard Ostfeld, other colleagues and I have shown that acorns initiate a complex series of ecological chain reactions. These interactions can ultimately determine whether or not Gypsy Moth outbreaks will occur, and can determine Lyme disease risk to people. Acorns are a key food for white-footed mice. The mice are key predators on Gypsy Moth pupae. When there are many acorns the mouse population increases, which keeps the moth population low. However if there are no acorns, the mouse population collapses allowing the moth population to increase. Acorns also attract white-tailed deer into oak forests to feed on acorns. The deer carry adult ticks that drop off and spend the winter in the oak forests. The next year the female ticks lay eggs that hatch into larval ticks. The larval ticks are not infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, but become infected when they feed on the mice that have increased because of acorns. This means that the risk of Lyme disease can be higher in oak forests two years after a large acorn crop.

Acorns initiate many other chain reactions, and Gypsy Moth defoliation has many effects on the forest, including a reduction in acorn production. The research is trying to understand how the complexity of interactions among species affects the functioning of forest ecosystems and has important implications for understanding forest ecosystem health and human health.

Current Research

We are expanding our understanding of the web of connections, and analyzing and modeling spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the known connections. Brett Goodwin, Eric Schauber, Richard Ostfeld and I are looking at how heterogeneity in mouse predation risk and restricted larval dispersal affect moth population persistence in the forest. Gary Lovett and I continue our long-term study on the effects of gypsy moth defoliation on nitrogen cycling in oak forests.

Current Collaborators

Dr. Brett Goodwin, IES
Dr. Gary Lovett, IES
Dr. Richard Ostfeld, IES
Dr. Eric Schauber, IES

Selected Publications

  • Lovett, G. M., Christenson, L. M., Groffman, P. M., Jones, C. G., Hart, J. E. and Mitchell, M. J. 2002. Insect defoliation and nitrogen cycling in forests. Bioscience 52: 335-341.
  • Ostfeld, R. S., Schauber, E. M., Canham, C. D., Keesing, F., Jones, C. G., and Wolff, J. O. 2001. Effects of acorn production and mouse abundance on abundance and Borrelia burgdorferi infection prevalence of nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 1: 55-63.
  • Ostfeld, R. S. and Jones, C. G. 1999. Peril in the understory. Audubon Magazine 101: 74-82.
  • Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Mast seeding and Lyme disease. Trends Ecol. Evoln. 13: 506.
  • Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk. Science 279: 1023-1026.
  • Lovett, G. M., Hart, J. E., Christenson, L. M. and Jones, C. G. 1998. Caterpillar guts and ammonia volatilization: retention of nitrogen by gypsy moth larvae consuming oak foliage. Oecologia 117: 516-516.
  • Ostfeld, R. S., Jones, C. G., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Tick population trends and forest type. Science 281: 350-351.
  • Ostfeld, R. S., Keesing, F., Jones, C. G., Canham, C. D. and Lovett, G. M. 1998. Integrative ecology and the dynamics of species in oak forests. Integrative Biology 1: 178-186.
  • Ostfeld, R. S., Jones, C. G. and Wolff, J. O. 1996. Of mice and mast: ecological connections in eastern deciduous forests. BioScience 46: 323-330.
  • Moore, K. E. B. and Jones, C. G. 1992. Estimating field hatch and parasitism of the gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Environ. Entomol. 21: 276-280.
  • Jones, C. G., Steininger, M. K., Luciano, P. and Moore, K. E. B. 1990. Estimating gypsy moth fecundity in the field: a comparison between data from North America and Sardinia (Italy). Environ. Entomol. 19: 108-110.
  • Wallner, W. E., Jones, C. G., Elkinton, J. S. and Parker, B. L. 1990. Sampling low-density gypsy moth populations. USDAFS-NEFES. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-146: 40-44.
  • Moore, K. E. B. and Jones, C. G. 1987. Field estimation of fecundity of the gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Environ. Entomol. 16: 165-167.
  • Karnosky, D. F. and Jones, C. G. 1981. Living with the gypsy moth. Garden Mag. 5: 8-13.

Scientific Correspondence

  • Blockstein, D. E. 1998. Lyme disease and the Passenger Pigeon? Science 279: 1831 (in response to: Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk. Science 279: 1023-1026).
  • Ginsberg, H. S., Hyland, K. E., Hu, R., Daniels, T. J., and Falco, R. C. 1998. Tick population trends and forest type. Science 281: 347-351 (in response to: Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk. Science 279: 1023-1026).
  • Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Mast seeding and Lyme disease. Trends Ecol. Evoln. 13: 506 (in response to: Randolph, S. E. 1998. Mighty theories from little acorns grow: is Lyme disease risk predictable from mast-seeding by oak trees? Trends Ecol. Evoln. 13: 301-303).
  • Kelly, D. 1998. Mast seeding and Lyme disease. Trends Ecol. Evoln. 13: 506 (in response to: Randolph, S. E. 1998. Mighty theories from little acorns grow: is Lyme disease risk predictable from mast-seeding by oak trees? Trends Ecol. Evoln. 13: 301-303).
  • Ostfeld, R. S., Jones, C. G., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Tick population trends and forest type. Science 281: 350-351 (in response to: Ginsberg, H. S., Hyland, K. E., Hu, R., Daniels, T. J., and Falco, R. C. 1998. Tick population trends and forest type. Science 281: 347-351).
  • Randolph, S. E. 1998. Mast seeding and Lyme disease: reply. Trends Ecol. Evoln. 13: 507 (in response to: Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M., and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Mast seeding and Lyme disease. Trends Ecol. Evoln. 13: 506).

Selected General Publications

  • Barash, D. P. 2001. Buddhism and the 'Subversive Science'. Chronicle of Higher Education, Section 2, Chronicle Review 67(24), 23 Feb, 2001: B13 (on: Acorn connections).
  • Blockstein, D. E. 2001. Passenger pigeons, Lyme disease, and us: the unintended consequences of the death of a species. A Birding Essay, Birding, August 2001, p. 302-305 (on: Acorn connections).
  • Blockstein, D. 2000. Unforseen consequences: how a century-old extinction could impact human health today. Bell Museum of Natural History Imprint, University of Minnesota 17(3), Fall 2000: 5-6 (on: Acorn connections).
  • Estes, P. 1999. Tick, tick, tick. Will Lyme disease explode in 1999? AMC Outdoors Magazine, June 1999, p. 20 (on: Acorn connections).
  • Line, L. 1999. When nature goes nuts. National Wildlife Magazine 37: 48-57 (on: Acorn connections).
  • Sanz, C. 1999. Summer of danger. Discover Magazine 20: 64-70 (on: Acorn connections).
  • Kaiser, J. 1998. Of mice and moths and Lyme disease? Science 279: 984-985 (on: Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk. Science 279: 1023-1026).
  • Kareiva, P. 1998. Insect pestilence and the futility of simple explanations. Integrative Biology 1: 163-165 (on: Ostfeld, R. S., Keesing, F., Jones, C. G., Canham, C. D., and Lovett, G. M. 1998. Integrative ecology and the dynamics of species in oak forests. Integrative Biology 1: 178-186).
  • Kemp, S. 1998. Tick talk. AMC Outdoors Magazine, May 1998, p. 11 (on: Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk. Science 279: 1023-1026).
  • National Science Foundation 1998. Natures complex connections. Frontiers Newsletter (Online) May-June (on: Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk. Science 279: 1023-1026).
  • Randolph, S. E. 1998. Mighty theories from little acorns grow: is Lyme disease risk predictable from mast-seeding by oak trees? Trends Ecol. Evoln. 13: 301-303 (on: Jones, C. G., Ostfeld, R. S., Richard, M. P., Schauber, E. M. and Wolff, J. O. 1998. Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk. Science 279: 1023-1026).
  • Westrup, H. 1998. Tick talk. Current Science 83: 4-6 (on: Acorn connections).
  • Baskin, Y. 1997. The Work of Nature: How the Diversity of Life Sustains Us. Island Press, Washington, D.C. (on: Ostfeld, R. S., Jones, C. G. and Wolff, J. O. 1996. Of mice and mast: ecological connections in eastern deciduous forests. BioScience 46: 323-330).
  • Ostfeld, R. 1997. The ecology of Lyme-disease risk. American Scientist 85(4): 338-346 (on: Acorn connections).

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