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.
Beech bark disease second type of scale insect, "Xylococcus betulae", which is non-host-specific, is native to North America and causes beech bark disease to a lesser degree than "Cryptococcus fagisuga". There are two fungi common to North America that are important to the beech bark disease process. They are "Neonectria faginata" and "Neonectria ditissima". The primary fungus is "N. faginata", though "N. ditissima" is very important in some areas. These fungi infect the tree through the wounds caused by the beech scale insect and then begin to produce spores. Spores are contained in perithecia, which are red, lemon-shaped fruiting bodies that form in