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Definition: Mistletoe
Posted December 18, 2007 12:00AM
Mistletoe = "a parasitic plant on the branches of a tree or shrub.
"While historically often considered a pest that kills trees and devalues natural habitats, mistletoe has recently become recognized as an ecological keystone species, an organism that has a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community. A broad array of animals depend on mistletoe for food, consuming the leaves and young shoots as well as transferring pollen between plants and dispersing the sticky seeds. The dense evergreen witches' brooms formed by the dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium species) of western North America also make excellent locations for roosting and nesting of the Northern Spotted Owls and the Marbled Murrelets. In Australia the Diamond Firetails and Painted Honeyeaters are recorded as nesting in different mistletoes. This behavior is probably far more widespread than currently recognized; more than 240 species of birds that nest in foliage in Australia have been recorded nesting in mistletoe, representing more than 75% of the resident avifauna.
"A study of mistletoe in junipers concluded that more juniper berries sprout in stands where mistletoe is present, as the mistletoe attracts berry-eating birds, which also eat juniper berries; juniper berries that have passed through a bird's digestive tract are less likely to remain imprisoned within a hardened outer capsule. Such interactions lead to dramatic influences on diversity, as areas with greater mistletoe densities support higher diversities of animals. Thus, rather than being a pest, mistletoe can have a positive effect on biodiversity, providing high quality food and habitat for a broad range of animals in forests and woodlands worldwide."
(Wikipedia) [en.wikipedia.org]
In honor of the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to explore some of the history behind Mistletoe. Mistletoe was once called the golden bough. It was especially sacred to Celtic Druids who used it in various rituals. North American Indians used it for toothache, measles and dog bites. In historic Scandinavia, enemies who met beneath underneath mistletoe laid down their arms for one day.
More... [www.sundancechannel.com]
"While historically often considered a pest that kills trees and devalues natural habitats, mistletoe has recently become recognized as an ecological keystone species, an organism that has a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community. A broad array of animals depend on mistletoe for food, consuming the leaves and young shoots as well as transferring pollen between plants and dispersing the sticky seeds. The dense evergreen witches' brooms formed by the dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium species) of western North America also make excellent locations for roosting and nesting of the Northern Spotted Owls and the Marbled Murrelets. In Australia the Diamond Firetails and Painted Honeyeaters are recorded as nesting in different mistletoes. This behavior is probably far more widespread than currently recognized; more than 240 species of birds that nest in foliage in Australia have been recorded nesting in mistletoe, representing more than 75% of the resident avifauna.
"A study of mistletoe in junipers concluded that more juniper berries sprout in stands where mistletoe is present, as the mistletoe attracts berry-eating birds, which also eat juniper berries; juniper berries that have passed through a bird's digestive tract are less likely to remain imprisoned within a hardened outer capsule. Such interactions lead to dramatic influences on diversity, as areas with greater mistletoe densities support higher diversities of animals. Thus, rather than being a pest, mistletoe can have a positive effect on biodiversity, providing high quality food and habitat for a broad range of animals in forests and woodlands worldwide."
(Wikipedia) [en.wikipedia.org]
In honor of the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to explore some of the history behind Mistletoe. Mistletoe was once called the golden bough. It was especially sacred to Celtic Druids who used it in various rituals. North American Indians used it for toothache, measles and dog bites. In historic Scandinavia, enemies who met beneath underneath mistletoe laid down their arms for one day.
More... [www.sundancechannel.com]
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