The Crunch beneath My Feet

           

 As I sit on the cold, hardened, forest floor, the world becomes silent; for only a moment. Autumn has provided a blanket of decomposing leaves upon the surrounding ground. The wind whips above rustling the branches with any remaining bursts of reds and yellows; it is a welcomed end to my temporary quiet bliss. Pemberton Park is the location I have been observing for the past twelve weeks and the profound qualities drew me in, leaving no argument against developing my natural history repertoire here.

During childhood, fall was the season that excited me most. I do not know if it was that the season began the countdown to the holidays, or if the cooler weather meant that snow days were just a month or two away, but this season brought such joy to my heart, much as it still does today. As the sunlight diminishes and the days get shorter, the air takes on a slight chill, the wind picks up and suddenly the trees have changed their colors to a whole new palette. The deep oranges, the bright yellows, and the bold reds are exciting to the eye and are a welcomed change. Leaves are such an integral part of the ecosystem, yet they are also important to our culture.

            Decorations for the holidays use leaves to create a sense of home. Wreaths on the door provide a sentimental feeling of family gatherings and warmth around the hearth. Leaves with changing foliage provide “cozy” colors to be placed around the room. Does this mean that society views fall, in the natural world, as a time for humans to be one with nature? If trees are celebrated in the home, then it would appear as though the norm is to cherish the seasons. Would that go to say that there is, in fact, even a love of leaves? What makes humanity feel this pull towards this time of the natural year? Possibly it was that the natives of this land used to celebrate the end of the harvest season with cornucopias and autumn festivities. However, our European ancestors, who also lived in temperate climates, celebrated fall as a harvest festival as well. Temperate deciduous forests have a multitude of species within them. Because of the biodiversity just simply in the tree species aspect, their canopies are not always the exact same as far as when leaves grow and when they fall and how long they stay on the branches (Lechowicz). Due to this variation, not all temperate lands celebrate these festivals at identical times. But, regardless of the slight timing differences of defoliation, autumn held almost a spiritual value. It could be these traditions of our ancestors that compel us to appreciate this season as we do.

            What is the importance of leaves to us? We seem to spend our days as the months turn colder, raking, cutting, sweeping, chopping, and even burning them out of our lives. So why do we place so much pressure on ourselves to fill our lives with artificial leaves tinted to the exact colors we desire, when the natural beauties lie right in our front lawns and scattered upon our sidewalks. Can this be attributed to our obsession with a plastic version of beauty that does not wither? Society’s ideal of convenience is exemplified through these artificial products because they do not die or quickly decay. It is this ideal that plagues our endless demand for production, thus taking tolls on the natural world. By buying and selling these manmade products to exhibit in our homes as if they were the real thing, we are claiming that human kind knows how to “do nature better” than it can do itself. What bold a statement indeed!

            Leaf litter is perhaps an ecosystem in itself. As the leaves fall from deciduous trees onto the forest floor, they land at what seems to be the end of one journey only to begin another. This special place is where death becomes life. It is where decomposition of leaves occurs, thus turning into soil which will then fuel the new life of the trees and plants in the spring to come. The natural world has the most efficient way of “managing its resources” and leaves are the prime example of this capacity. Human kind is so enthralled by the beginning of this process with the changing foliage; but we should stop and stare for another few moments to see the circle of life occurring right beneath their feet.

            Although the vibrant reds and the striking yellows are what catch one’s eye, the final stages of what occurs during fall ecosystems are much more exciting to examine. The ideal place for me to admire the changing landscape is at Pemberton Park in Salisbury, MD. Nostalgia is overwhelming at this spot as I think upon the many class outings here over the years to search for reptiles and amphibians alike. There is one particular alcove overlooking a swamp that drains off of the Wicomico River. There is a small bench on a short pier that allows you to walk out a little further past the tree line as if to get a front row seat watching the inner workings of a swamp-like ecosystem. As fall has set in among the landscape, my eyes have consistently wandered to new places.

As Joan Maloof has recommended in her writings, all you need to do to absorb your surroundings is not look up, but look down. Such a change of direction and a fresh way of viewing things can open the eye, mind, and soul up to experiences never before possible. In this very way, the focus of my observations has led me to the forest floor. Because it is fall, and fall means that leaves will be falling off of deciduous trees, I wonder what changes occur on the forest floor that are specific to this season? These leaves that fall from the trees are near the end of their lives, thus truly being the recycling of the elements. Leaves may seem plentiful when piled up beneath trees, but over the winter they will decompose into a new layer of soil on the floor. The elements recycled through these multiple processes changes dependent upon the species of tree which then determines the size and makeup of the leaves (Chabot). There are also many little critters roaming around in the leaf litter. For some of them, this is the time of year in which they thrive. Some of the critters I have seen include roly pollies (Armadillidiida) which have the sole purpose of digesting leaf litter and turning that into soil. Nature has a perfect sustainable set up and by observing this leaf litter, it has allowed me to witness this well-oiled system first hand. Truly, looking down instead of up in a forest has enabled me to pick up on so many pivotal details within a temperate deciduous ecosystem that I many have never seen prior to my observations.

 When I take a deep sigh and breathe in the crisp autumn air filled with the scent of fallen leaves, I notice a silence that has fallen in between the ebb and flow of the wind gusts. This temporary bliss allows me to appreciate the spectacle that nature has created. There are only a few patches of bright amber and soft oranges left hanging upon the mostly barren branches. The sight of decomposing leaves on the forest floor is an enlightening sight; getting the chance to watch the recycling of nutrients first hand is a gift. The concept of wind was a reoccurring theme throughout my observations. “Wind is the biggest defining factor on forest ecology as it affects so many aspects” (Kutal). The way leaves fall in autumn effect seed dispersal in temperate deciduous forests. Seed dispersal is what continues the current or changes to a new forest ecology. Winds above a sparse canopy are actually weaker than those found above a dense tree canopy. This would then cause the seeds in the sparse tree canopy to be spread by a less strong wind, thus never really allowing it to become anything more than the sparse canopy that it is. This could be the case for my location in Pemberton Park and the cause for the not-so-dense canopy above. Additionally, the lack of variety in the leaf litter would cause for a more monotone effect with the critters found in and around it. Imagine the possibilities and the wonder found within the decomposing matter stacked upon the floor of an old growth forest! The journey that is natural history is only just now beginning for me.

            As I near the end of my observations, not a single leaf is left on a tree. Dark brown and ashy white are the colors that make up this almost monochromatic landscape. All of the once bold features just blend together. Even the sky seems to have a grayish tint. Where has the vibrant character of my favorite place disappeared to? There is a dullness that has set in and is chilling, along with the dropping thermostat, which brings sadness to my heart. Although I do not base my love for the land from its aesthetic appearance, I feel like a part of my soul has been buried beneath the decaying leaves on the forest floor, only to be unearthed by the warmth of the spring in a few long months. This may be my last time visiting for some time, so I bid you adieu my home away from home, my dear friend; I will not be a stranger.

Kylie Watson

Works Cited

Chabot, B. F., and D. J. Hicks. "The Ecology of Leaf Life Spans." Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 13.1 (1982): 229-59. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 21 Oct. 2015. 

Dixon, K. R. "Analysis of Seasonal Leaf Fall in North Temperate Deciduous Forests." Oikos 27.2 (1976): 300. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 21 Oct. 2015. 

Keddy, Paul A., and Chris G. Drummond. "Ecological Properties for the Evaluation, Management, and Restoration of Temperate Deciduous Forest Ecosystems." Ecological Applications 6.3 (1996): 748. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 21 Oct. 2015. 

Lechowicz, Martin J. "Why Do Temperate Deciduous Trees Leaf Out at Different Times? Adaptation and Ecology of Forest Communities." The American Naturalist American Naturalist, The 124.6 (1984): 821. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

Nathan, R., and G. G. Katul. "Foliage Shedding in Deciduous Forests Lifts up Long-distance Seed Dispersal by Wind." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102.23 (2005): 8251-256. PNAS. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.