The trees in my state seem to have dropped more seeds this yr than I can ever remember. Why is this happening?

Question

Mainly happening with maple trees.

Peace

Answer 1

I am only guessing here, but perhaps the trees want to spread their seed rather like man-kind does.

Maple is a popular flavor to humans, especially in syrup, as you know. After so long a period of time, it is nature renewing itself, trying to breed, put simply, since so much is taken from trees, by humans, and even other life, bugs, animals, etc.

It is not to say that trees think, but that naturally nature renews itself.

Now enough talk about trees breeding, you're scaring me! I have two Pecan Trees in my yard, had to pick up thousands of pecans in the Fall, and I don't want to pick up 10,000!

It's a good thing those Maple trees birthing!

Answer 2

Most trees go through natural masting cycles.  A mast year  occurs when the trees produce an enormous amount of seeds.  This is very noticable with oak trees--some years there will be virtually no acorns, other years there will be thousands.  Other trees, such as maples or ash, are more variable and the highs and lows are not so noticable (they are more consistant from year to year but still have masting years).  An entire population will generally mast in the same year.  This is probably what is happening with your maples.  

Not really a whole lot is known about masting, but one theory suggests that it is a strategy to avoid predation on seedlings.  Basically the population will produce so many little seedlings that herbivores can't eat them all, thereby increasing the chance that some will survive.