Oak trees are delaying spring leafing by three days after heavy caterpillar attacks, cutting insect survival and leaf damage by more than half. Discover how this flexible defence, revealed by satellite data across 60 forests, rivals climate-driven shifts in spring timing and reshapes our understanding of forest resilience. Trees in temperate oak forests delay their time of budburst and leaf emergence to protect against insect attacks, scientists have found. This helps them escape the peak activity of caterpillars feeding on them. The study published in the journal Natu... [3750 chars]
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