In This Issue

We often talk about how we fail to notice or appreciate things that are right under our noses, but what about the stuff that is right under our feet? For many of us right now, that stuff is fallen leaves.

It is autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. As days shorten and temperatures cool, a timeless cycle of renewal is underway. Trees are reducing their production of chlorophyll, revealing pigments of red, gold, and brown in foliage that gently falls to the ground. Those fallen leaves, along with twigs, branches, and other organic debris, form an essential reservoir of nutrients for the forest ecosystem.

Known as “leaf litter,” it is anything but waste. It feeds and provides habitat for millions upon millions of organisms—from microbes to mammals—connecting them all in a complex food web. As fallen leaves are consumed and broken down by those organisms, nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are released back into the soil, enriching it for the next cycle of growth. The fallen leaves are also protecting the soil from erosion, helping to regulate its temperature, providing space for air and water, and sequestering carbon.

Those leaves beneath our feet may be dead, but they are teeming with life… and functioning to support it. It’s time we started not just noticing leaf litter but also educating ourselves and those around us about how we can take action to protect it.

We, too, have overlooked leaf litter. It is the very name of this publication, yet we had not explored it as a topic… until now. We’ll chat with microbial ecologist, Dr. Peter Groffman, meet some of the critters living, hunting, and hiding in the leaf layer, and learn about the National Wildlife Federation’s “Leave the Leaves” initiative. We’ll share the latest Biohabitats news, a photo essay of leaf litter from various bioregions, and even the story of how this publication got its name. Join us as we jump into the leaves!