Mast (botany) some domestic animals consume. Mast is found in two forms. Mast is generated in large quantities during mast seeding events (or masting, mast events). Mast seeding is a population-level phenomenon that is hypothesized to be driven by economies of scale, weather, and resources. These pulses of resources drive ecosystem-level functions and dynamics. Tree species such as oak, hickory, and beech produce a hard mast—acorns, hickory nuts, and beechnuts. It has been traditional to turn pigs loose into forests to fatten on this form of mast. Other tree and shrub species produce a soft mast, such as raspberries, blueberries, and greenbriar.
Half-mast Half-mast Half-mast refers to a flag flying on a ship and half-staff refers to a flag flying below the summit on a pole on land or on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salute. Strictly speaking, flags are said to be half-mast if flown from ships and half-staff if on land, although not all regional variations of English use "half-staff." The tradition of flying the flag at half-staff began in the 17th century. According to some sources, the flag is lowered to make room for an