Fall has once again come to Loveland. Though the trees were a little late on the uptake, leaves are finally starting to fall, and Lovelanders all over arm themselves with rakes and trash bags as Leaf Collection Day rounds the corner. The start of fall brings something else as well, however. A small, maybe nagging, observation: there weren’t as many fireflies this summer, were there?
As it turns out, our leaf-raking habits have a disastrous impact on all sorts of local fauna. What looks like a gross layer of wet foliage is actually a burgeoning ecosystem underfoot, supporting everything from insects to small mammals. According to University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy, 94% of moth species need the leaf layer to complete their life cycle. They build their cocoons under the leaf layer, and emerge in the spring, fully grown. One species, the luna moth, actually uses silk to attach dead leaves to their cocoons. Removing the leaf layer effectively destroys an entire generation of larvae and cocoons.
Even if moths aren’t quite your speed, trashing your leaves can negatively affect some more-loved bugs. Fireflies and butterflies both rely on the leaf layer for safety. Fireflies, depending on the species, can spend years as larvae, burrowed under the leaf layer or into the earth. The other small insects and animals in the leaf layer also serve as a food source for firefly larvae. Some butterflies, like the tiger swallowtail butterfly, pupate in the leaf layer, with tiger swallowtails forming a dead leaf look-alike chrysalis. Others, like the mourning butterfly, instead spend their winters as an adult among the leaf layer.
The leaf layer provides protection for all sorts of different species of insects, and those insects provide food for other animals like birds and squirrels. Many animals use the leaf layer for moisture, as many reptiles do, or to protect themselves while hibernating. In particular, box turtles will dig their own hideouts. Even bats use the leaf layer: in the winter, the eastern red bat uses the leaf layer to stay warm. Destroying the leaf layer means destroying a vital part of the environment that tens of species rely on for survival.
Rather than chucking your leaves, other options include raking them onto your garden bed so they’re off your lawn but still doing their job, or simply keeping them in your yard. While it’s not the best for the fauna, you can also shred the leaves with a lawn mower and let them decompose that way, as it will do no damage to your yard. One important note, however: absolutely do not burn your leaves. Burning leaves causes tiny particles to accumulate in the smoke, and then accumulate in your lungs if you breathe it in. They also give off hydrocarbons, which irritate the lungs, eyes, etc, and can be carcinogenic. They may also cause carbon monoxide poisoning if left smoldering. Burning leaves is incredibly dangerous. If you have to get rid of your leaves, it’s better to bag them than to burn them.
As more and more leaves fall to the ground, rather than reaching for your rake and bags, consider for a moment the benefits of leafing them be.
Cover photo courtesy of Unsplash
Comentários