Fallen leaves provide foundational year-round habitat for countless animals (in ways that might surprise you!)

There’s not much sadder to me than walking into a home that’s festooned with garlands of plastic leaves inside but surrounded on the outside by over-mown, overblown lawn. Faux-nature decorations—including stacked straw bales, pumpkins that no one will ev...

Fallen leaves are underwater blankets

Our culture’s obsession with vacuuming up leaves from the landscape unfortunately extends to waterscapes too. But removing leaves, twigs and branches from a pond greatly depletes the life it can support. Decaying leaves provide habitat for invertebrates in the water, who in turn feed adult frogs, salamanders, birds and other animals. Many organisms, including some aquatic insects, shred and graze the organic matter and help to break it down. When temperatures drop, bull frogs and green frogs burrow into the decomposing vegetation at the bottom of the pond to ride out the winter.

Fallen leaves are nesting material

In the canopy, squirrels and birds insulate their nests with leaves, and bumblebees sometimes reuse those well-constructed homes to raise their own young. On the ground, nature’s best rodent patrols, black rat snakes, often lay eggs and take cover among fallen leaves too. In winter, chipmunks and opossums stay warm in burrows lined with leaves, and come spring, fallen leaves make the perfect spot for mama rabbits to raise their babies.

Fallen leaves are camouflage

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to locate animals in the fallen leaves? Squirrels, deer, wood thrushes, toads, turtles and innumerable other creatures blend in to the environments where they thrive. None of them evolved to live in giant swaths of turfgrass. Many are darker above and lighter underneath, a type of coloration known as “countershading,” which can distort shadows and make it harder to discern shapes. When I want to do some serious wildlife-watching, I look no further than down on the ground, toward the abundant leafy layer.

Fallen leaves are song and motion

Wildlife gardeners already know how important the understory is for winter forage. Seed and insect treats are abundant in the ground layers, where some birds send leaves flying throughout the year to find the treasures underneath. Mammals forage there too; in the depths of winter, deer sometimes even make drying leaves a part of their diet.While indulging their appetites, the animals bring music and bursts of motion to landscapes filled with leaves. White-throated sparrows herald the coming of shorter days here in the mid-Atlantic with their ethereal song. Mixed flocks of cardinals, tufted titmice, chickadees, and nuthatches chitter-chatter away together during the cold season. All of their movements are easier to observe in winter and early spring when dormant plants no longer obscure the view—and there’s nothing quite like watching northern flickers flick and white-throated sparrows kick their way to sustenance.

Fallen leaves are climate control

Insulation and cover are essential to overwintering insects, including butterfly and moth pupae, caterpillars, queen bumblebees and many others. But the rich habitat in the ground layer is also critical year-round. The climate control provided by fallen leaves regulates moisture for fireflies, who are prone to desiccation, and harbors the snails and slugs their larvae eat. Without the help of fallen leaves, our summer nights would lose their sparkle.

Fallen leaves are home sweet home

If fallen leaves mean so much to animals every day throughout the year, they are just as important to plants. They return nutrients to the soil, keep the ground warmer during the cold seasons, and preserve moisture when temperatures rise. Removing th...

Related Articles

Pristine Ponds Be Gone!Wild Waters: Naturalistic backyard ponds welcome frogs and other animalsThese Animals Are Made Possible by Fallen LeavesGrounded and Surrounded: How you can help animals come in for a soft landingLife After Death: Nurturing life in the decayWild by Design