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 Hill Preserve Beech Hill Preserve The Beech Hill Preserve is a conservation property in Rockport, Maine. Its include the summit of Beech Hill, one of the few bare-topped hills in the area. Its features include forested lower slopes, a commercial blueberry operation, and a 1913 Norwegian sod-roofed hut at the summit of the hill. It has been protected by conservation easements since 1987, and is now owned and managed by the Coastal Mountains Land Trust. The hut, its access road, and the gate on Beech Hill Road were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Beechnut Hut Historic District