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In spring forests, timing is everything. Many insects, especially caterpillars, hatch just as tree leaves are young, tender, and full of nutrients. This perfect alignment gives them immediate access to food, allowing them to begin feeding right away.
But oak trees have a surprising response when caterpillars become too abundant. If a tree experiences heavy infestation in one year, it shifts its schedule the next spring by delaying leaf emergence by about three...
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