Most of the time, conservationists think litter is bad- except when it's leaf litter. The life of the forest begins and ends in leaf litter. Every plant, large and small, germinates, takes root and grows, supported by this complex web of life.
Welcome to this week's edition of Something Wild.
Most of the time, conservationists think litter is bad- except when it's leaf litter. Leaf litter is really cool stuff and, in my opinion, way underappreciated.
Walk into any patch of woods and look down and you'll see twigs, decaying leaves and dirt, the visible components of leaf litter. This is, believe it or not, the richest part of this natural community. That's because so much happens there.
Basically, the life of the forest begins and ends in the leaf litter. Every plant, large and small, germinates, takes root and grows, supported by this complex web of life.
And when those plants die, they are recycled. This is one of the leaf litter's key roles. With the help of its microscopic fungi and insects, it breaks down organic matter to be re-used by other plants and animals. Without that efficient recycling system, life on this planet could not survive for long.
But unfortunately, many people do not realize how important leaf litter is and spend a lot of time trying to get rid of it. For example, at this time of year, many homeowners rake perfectly good leaves into plastic bags and deposit them into garbage dumps. Those leaves will never break down into nutrients that could be taken up by a growing maple or oak tree.
And so that tree will then clean that much less air, help filter that much less water, and support that much less wildlife. Also, our surroundings will look ever more tidy.
It is ironic that carefully manicured lawns and gardens have become such a sign of wealth, when you consider how biologically impoverished they are.
If you must do some raking, at least take those leaves and dump them where they can break down naturally. In other words, become a litterbug- a leaf litterbug, that is.
Something Wild is a joint production of the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, NHPR and the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. For Something Wild, I'm Rosemary Conroy.
