How long does maple leaf fall last? Falling leaves on the trees

Interesting 12.10.2019

Interesting

This happens because, in addition to chlorophyll, there are other coloring substances in the leaves. It is especially abundant at the end of September and the first decade of October. In what period does the leaf fall of linden and birch begin and end?

With the onset of September, the trees gradually begin to change the summer emerald green color of the leaves to autumn yellow. By mid-September, birch leaves become ocher-gold and gradually begin to fall off.

For many trees, leaf fall is uneven, that is, it happens in different time. For example, after the first severe frost, leaf fall begins in linden and maples. By this time, the birch had already dropped most of the leaves.

It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question when the time of leaf fall ends. It is noticed that first poplar leaves are lost, then oaks and mountain ash. Dropping leaves from trees serves another purpose - the crown under the snow cover has a significant weight. The branches of trees, especially young ones, are not able to withstand such a load. Thanks to the process of photosynthesis, a large amount of harmful substances accumulate in the leaves by the beginning of autumn, which, with the onset of leaf fall, are removed along with fallen leaves.

Poplar During the period of leaf fall, adult poplar trees lose a third of their leaves in the period from September 15 to 20, in the first ten days of October, up to 10% of foliage remains in the poplar crown. Young poplars remain green longer than old trees, they turn yellow later and shed their leaves. Oak Oak leaves fall off in the first half of September, after about 30 days the trees completely lose their leaves.

Oak leaves immediately acquire a brown color, along with the leaves, ripe acorns fall from the tree. Rowan Autumn rowan seems to be painted with watercolors, its leaves do not turn yellow, but acquire pink coloration, the process of leaf fall begins around the beginning of October, and ends by November 1.

The fall of apple trees begins in the third decade of September and ends in the second half of October. Birch is a genus of deciduous shrubs and trees of the Birch family, which is distributed in almost the entire Northern Hemisphere. Birch is better known to us as a tree up to 45 meters high and with a girth of up to one and a half meters.

Yes, many of us dislike this time of year because of the constant rain and sleet, but without a doubt - early autumn very beautiful due to the changing color of the trees. For example, the same birch begins to change color around the 20th of August, although this, of course, also depends on the weather.

However, we repeat, it all depends on the weather in the region. If, for some reason, the weather has changed so much that the temperature drops from the usual +20°C to -5°C, then the leaf fall begins almost immediately with the first frost. The remains of the leaves, which can remain on the trees even in the case of active leaf fall, usually fall off after the third or fourth hard frost, and this applies to most trees.

Trees at the time of leaf fall

Reprinting of materials and their use in any form, including in electronic media, is possible only with a back active link to our site, which is not closed from indexing by search engines. handsome autumn forest when the fall begins. Forest glades dressed in yellow colors, a river valleys- in wine red and pink shades. In the second half of September, poplars are also multi-colored: some of them become lemon yellow, others almost orange, some golden yellow.

By the end of September, even this strong, mighty tree obeys the general laws of nature - it becomes straw-yellow. True, poplar and birch shed their leaves long before the general cold snap. In aspen, leaf fall ends 5-6 days earlier than in birch. By September 15-20, old poplars are bare by a third, and by October 10, no more than 10-12% of the leaves remain on the trees.

Features of leaf fall

The leaf fall of different trees is uneven and sometimes lasts for several weeks. Here are a few aspens, elms, elms, ash and apple trees standing almost naked, and not so far from them - trees of the same age, but with rustling foliage still almost completely preserved.

September - the first signs of the coming autumn are already visible on the trees. The birch is the first to play in the autumn rays of the still warm sun with the yellowness of the leaves, the crowns of the trees are covered with the first noticeable gilding. On August 23, 2016, along the roads in the suburbs of St. Petersburg (specifically Oselki, Leskolovo, Ekaterinovka), I observed crimson maples in their entirety and in separate branches.

Apparently it's a combination of moisture, heat and daylight hours. The summer was very rainy and moderately warm. And by the middle of the month, the forests are bare. In the Leningrad, Pskov and Novgorod regions, the end of leaf fall of birch and mountain ash is observed on average on October 14. In October, the little warblers, warblers, shrikes, and corncrakes fly away from us. In the first days of the month, there is (on average) a mass passage of geese in the Tver and Yaroslavl regions.

Their mass departure is observed in the Tver region on October 18, in the Moscow region - on October 6, in the Vladimir and Oryol regions - on October 8-9. The departure of starlings ends, as a rule, in the last decade of the month. The mallard flies behind the starlings. Some birds stay with us for the winter. And not only rooks winter in our cities.

The beginning of autumn - 29 days: from August 26 to September 24. Leaf fall at the birch begins around the first half of September and lasts for another 20 days, that is, this tree completely falls off by the end of September-mid-October.

A common tree in Russia, it has beautiful curly leaves with five sharp ends. The tree is very picturesque, especially noticeable in autumn, when the foliage takes on many shades of golden and red. And when the leaves fall, it is so nice to collect bright autumn bouquets from them.

In this article we will talk about the maple itself, about its features and types, as well as about when the maple leaf fall begins and ends, on what conditions the timing of this depends. natural phenomenon.

Why does a tree need leaf fall?

With the onset of the first signs of a cold snap in the tree trunk, delivery slows down nutrients along the stem vessels. It is in the root system that these substances are stored, and each leaf of a tree is a small laboratory for their production. From the incoming water with minerals dissolved in it, under the action of photosynthesis (that is, with the help of sunlight), the cells of a green leaf produce everything necessary for the life of a plant.

But now the sun and heat are getting smaller, the days are getting shorter, and the tree, as if realizing that winter will come soon with cloudy days and frosts, it is accepted to store the necessary substances at the root. During the preparation of the plant for winter dormancy, the leaves change color and fly around. This is how the fall begins.

special maple

Maple - in many ways unique tree. It is frost-resistant, one of the first to “wake up” in spring, and easily tolerate drought in summer. It is avoided by insect pests common to other trees, rodents and moose do not like young foliage and bark because of the bitter taste. That is why maple leaves often remain intact until autumn, without flaws and wormholes.

Mushroom lovers know that it is useless to look for them under this tree.

Bees actively fly to the flowering maple. They like to feast on winged maple seeds and squirrel flowers, field mice and some birds such as bullfinches and nuthatches. The seeds, by the way, only ripen late autumn when the maple ends falling leaves, and fall to the snow-covered ground.

Maples look great in parks and gardens - they have a light, thanks to long petioles, fluttering crown with curly leaves, beautiful wood color and bright autumn foliage colors.

From some types of maple (sugar, black, red, holly), when the trunk is cut in the spring, maple sap is obtained, which is then boiled down to syrup. Maple syrup has a special taste. It is often used as an additive to confectionery.

Maple types

Maple is widely distributed throughout the earth, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. There are 20 species of maples growing in Russia. The most famous of them are: holly (or plane-shaped), Tatar, white, field.

Holly has five leaf lobes. From three to five ends of a field maple leaf.

On the Far East there is a Japanese maple. He has seven-, nine-pointed leaves and a bizarre bend in the trunk. This species is listed in the Red Book.

Individual specimens of maples, for example, white maple, can reach a height of 40 meters, while the usual height of Norway maple is 28-30 meters. There are shrubby maples, in which individual trunks can be ten meters high.

Maple leaf fall dates

Maple, as mentioned above, easily tolerates cold. Active leaf drop begins after the first frost, and this is the average on September 27th. By this time everything Maple leaves are already painted in autumn colors.

In October, it is time for strong leaf fall for most trees. It is impossible to say exactly when the leaf fall of the maple ends, but usually by the middle or end of the month the tree loses its foliage.

It is clear that the average date is inaccurate. Because if you live in southern regions, the end of the leaf fall of the maple may shift for a month or more - and the leaf fall will end only by mid-November. But if in the north - on the contrary, the first frosts can descend in these parts even at the end of August.

Another time when the leaf fall of the maple ends depends on the particular winter. It happens that autumn is protracted, not cold, frosts come later than usual, and the leaf fall comes and ends later.

Much depends on the conditions in which the tree grows. For example, in open and flooded or wetlands, a tree loses leaves faster than in a dense forest.

It is interesting that trees growing near street lamps shed their leaves later - after all, the daylight hours for them are increased.

Also, the period of leaf shedding depends on the age of the plant. How younger tree, the later it loses leaves.

In order to know exactly what kind of “routine” plants and animals live in your area, you need to observe changes in wildlife. It's educational and interesting.

According to the calendar, autumn begins on September 1, but astronomers believe that from September 21 on the day autumn equinox. Phenologists, on the other hand, believe that autumn begins with the appearance of the first yellow leaves on the trees of the warty birch or drooping birch. This is usually noticeable on August 23rd. But I first noticed the appearance of yellow leaves on August 18 on birches, and on lindens on August 24. After the first frost, there were even more yellowing leaves, and leaf fall began near birch, linden, and aspen. And already on October 4, during the excursion, we noted that there were no leaves on the poplars at all, the leaves on the birches were preserved in very small quantities. Partially there were still leaves on the oak near the school, on the maples. But the Canadian Norway maple has already completely lost its bright red outfit. We noticed that there are still a lot of leaves in the willow, in the lilac. They are still quite green. Full coloration of the leaves occurs when the bulk of the leaves have changed from green to color. For example, rowan on September 18, maple on September 20. The beginning of leaf fall is the day when the leaves fall even in calm weather or from touching a branch. For example, maple has September 14th. Massive leaf fall occurs when about half of the trees of each species shed their leaves. Full leaf fall is recorded when the trees lose all their leaves. Individual leaves are not taken into account. For example, bird cherry - September 22, linden - September 24, aspen - October 5, maple and birch around October 14. Ash, Canadian maple, poplar, alder, aspen can shed their leaves in one day. The sequence of leaf fall different trees different: the oak does not part with the leaves for the longest time, but the leaves appear on it later. There are oak trees that do not shed their leaves at all. So far, scientists have not been able to explain this phenomenon.

Leaf fall is not the same not only for different breeds trees, but even among representatives of the same species, depending on the growth conditions and individual characteristics. The timing of leaf fall is affected by the age and condition of the tree. Young plants shed their leaves much later than ripe and overmature ones. Sick trees affected by heart rot, as well as those affected by man or beast, lose leaves faster than healthy ones. In trees growing on the edge, in swampy and flooded places, leaf fall passes faster than in plants in dense forest. Needle-shaped leaves of pine, spruce have a small surface, their needles are hard, covered with a wax coating and therefore slightly evaporate water. They successfully endure winter drought, are very cold-resistant. In larch, the opposite is true, so it sheds its needles annually, as well as deciduous trees. In evergreens - lingonberries, cranberries, the change of leaves occurs in the spring. Cowberry leaves are hard, their stomata are only on the underside and near the curved edges of the leaf, so evaporation is negligible. At the wild rosemary, the leaf is pubescent from below, besides, the bushes hide under the snow in winter.

But for trees located close to electric lights, leaf fall begins later, since they have longer daylight hours.

Causes of falling leaves

Trees prepare for leaf fall in advance. Even in summer, a bud is born in the axil of the leaf petiole, and organic substances are deposited in the wood cells. Spring will come and due to these reserves, the bud will develop into a young shoot with leaves. By autumn, a layer of cells forms at the leaf petiole, which separates the leaf petiole from the branch; in autumn, the leaf easily separates from the branch and falls off.

Fall value

Leaf fall is the adaptation of plants to winter conditions. By dropping leaves for the winter, trees protect themselves from mechanical damage. Often in winter, during snowfalls, even large branches of trees break under the pressure of snow. There would be even more such breakdowns if the leaves did not fall off and trap snow on their surface. Leaf fall contributes to the removal of various mineral salts, a large amount of which accumulates in the leaves in the fall and becomes harmful to the plant. Leaf fall returns mineral salts to the soil. The leaves rot, and the mineral salts are reused to feed the plants. Hence, leaf fall depends not only on external, but also on internal causes, that is, it becomes necessary as a result of the vital activity of the plant itself. Where is the beginning of the phenomenon of leaf fall? From additional literature, we learned that such a peculiar adaptation of nature began to take shape. About 60 million years ago, when warm and humid climate of our places began to gradually give way to seasonal, with cold and snowy winter. Under the new conditions, only those trees and shrubs survived that went into winter with fewer leaves. So from generation to generation this important property of the leaf has developed.

Is it worth burning leaves in autumn?

The soil is covered with a layer of fallen leaves, branches, bark, dead grass. This layer is called the forest floor. AT deciduous forest litter annually is about 4 tons, and in pine forest– up to 3.5 tons per 1 ha. The forest floor has great importance in the life of the forest. The accumulation of humus and minerals in the soil, the development of biological processes depend on it. Loose litter easily decomposes and allows water to enter the soil, dense litter rots for a long time and has a sour smell. The bedding protects the soil and plant roots from freezing. The humus stains the soil dark colors, so these soils warm up better sunbeams, slowly cool down and thus create favorable conditions for life in the soil of beneficial microorganisms and plant roots. Cleaning leaf litter reduces planting growth by 11%.

Sasha K. (Belogorsk)

In what period does the leaf fall of linden and birch begin and end?

With the onset of September, the trees gradually begin to change the summer emerald green color of the leaves to autumn yellow. A little more time will pass and all the golden foliage will rush to the ground. Watching nature, people often ask themselves the question - when does the leaf fall end for birch, linden, maple and other favorite yellowing trees? Let's try to answer this question.

When the leaves turn yellow

Foliage begins to change color long before the first frost. As a rule, this happens at the end of August, when the day has already noticeably decreased and it has become a little colder, and lasts for 14-20 days. At first, only single gray-yellow patches are visible on the branches, but day by day there are more and more of them.

By mid-September, birch leaves become ocher-gold and gradually begin to fall off. Maple branches are no less beautiful at this time. The crowns of the tree are covered with foliage of yellow, brick red, red and even purple hues. The foliage of the linden, which is only half yellowed, stands out noticeably.

The beginning of leaf fall

For many trees, leaf fall is uneven, that is, it happens at different times. For example, after the first severe frost, leaf fall begins in linden and maples. By this time, the birch had already dropped most of the leaves. Her leaf fall begins in the first decade of September and lasts 15-20 days.

Important! The beginning of leaf fall depends on the weather. Dry sunny weather and windless days delay the golden decoration of trees.

Leaf fall is especially abundant after the third frost. The leaves fall to the ground very densely, forming a thick bedding on the ground. Birch drops about 30 kg of leaves in autumn. In an adult linden and maple, this amount reaches 40-50 kg.

End of leaf fall

The end of leaf fall, as a rule, is accompanied by a significant cooling, deterioration weather conditions, frequent rain and strong gusts of wind. By October 7-10, lindens and birches lose their last yellow leaves. Maples are exposed much later, only by October 20. Single leaves can be kept on the branches until mid-November, reminding passers-by of the past golden season.

Observations of nature during leaf fall

The period of active leaf fall is accompanied by a significant cooling and the arrival of night frosts. Summer white clouds are replaced by a solid gray veil. It is often foggy in the morning. The first flocks of migratory birds fly into the sky.

The end of leaf fall in lindens and maples is accompanied by gloomy rainy weather, frost on the still green grass and thin ice on the puddles. Rooks gather in flocks and fly south. Gradually the earth cools down and nature falls asleep.