The Second Life of a Leaf
Cheryl Ames
2 days ago
1 min read
Every autumn, trees release millions of leaves. We often think of them as the remnants of summer—the colorful evidence that chlorophyll has disappeared and the tree is preparing for winter. But a fallen leaf isn’t really the end of the story. It is the beginning of another one.
Once a leaf reaches the ground, it becomes part of one of nature’s most important recycling systems. Its nutrients return to the soil, its carbon becomes food for decomposers, and it can provide shelter for insects and other small creatures through the winter.
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