Management and long term storage of cork-oak acorns

Cork-oak trees can have unpredictable reproduction patterns, with some trees producing seeds only one every 2 to 5 years. The problem of the irregularity of mast-years is complicated by dormancy-related heterogeneity in germination of freshly harvested acorns. The long time taking by acorn to germinate increases the risk of their viability loss caused by rodents and drought. Due to these problems, the long-term storage of acorns may be an important alternative for reforestation and rejuvenation of cork-oak stands. The objective of this handbook is to provide the knowledge obtained during 3 years experiments with cork-oak acorn storage (European Project FAIR5 CT97-3480), describing the practical aspects to ensure the success of the long-term storage of cork-oak acorns.