Autumn Leaves & Ecology
Fallen leaves are essential for the health of our ecosystem, providing nourishment, and shelter for a variety of wild creatures. Yet, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, leaves and other so-called yard debris make up more than 13 percent of the nation’s solid waste, and without enough oxygen to decompose, this organic matter releases the greenhouse gas methane, contributing to climate change. And that figure doesn’t include the carbon dioxide generated by loud leaf blowers and trucks used in leaf disposal. We spend time, money and harm our environment by erasing traces of death and we forget that it is death that supports plants, that support life.
When left to do their work, autumn leaves form a natural mulch that fertilizes the soil as they break down. Removing them by over-raking or using annoying and polluting gas-powered blowers not only depletes the soil but eliminates vital habitat for animals like turtles, toads, salamanders, birds, small mammals, and invertebrates that rely on autumn leaves for food, shelter, and nesting material. The majority of butterflies and moths overwinter in the landscape as an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, or adult and use leaves as blankets through the cold winter. Queen bumblebees, who live exclusively in the wild, also rely on leaves to protect them from the elements as they hibernate through winter and emerge in spring to set up a new colonies. Leaves are not ‘yard waste,’ they are an essential part of the life cycle.
Fallen leaves offer shelter for wildlife and sustenence for the living soil.
WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LEAVES:
Your autumn leaves can be gently raked into garden beds or used as mulch to build soil fertility. Leaves are great additives to compost piles, and by keeping piles or bins of leaves next to compost in urban community gardens, farms, or homes, leaves can be used to cover layers of food scraps through the seasons.
Fallen leaves build soil health. You may want to rake a leaf pile to a space where the soil is depleted and let the pile sit all winter. Through autumn, and as the ground thaws, the lower part of the leaf pile will break down with the help of our underground friends and convert into fertile ground. The remaining layers that haven’t broken down can be used as mulch, compost, or dug into spring garden beds for rich soil structure and moisture retention.
So, leave the leaves this autumn or gently rake them for the sake of our ecosystem. Not only will you support vital habitat but you’ll also have more time and space to enjoy the beauty and bounty of the season.
And for those of you who hate leaf blowers as much as I do, here are some resources that may help you convince your community to ban them:
Quiet Communities
Noisefree.org
Article about a community ban