Leaving the leaves in the fall is extremely important to a wide array of critters and insects which take refuge underneath the leaves and hibernate throughout the winter months.
Some of the creatures that depend on leaves for habitat are pollinators, caterpillars, moth eggs, along with snails, spiders, beetles and mites which eventually go onto feed larger animals much higher up on the food chain like amphibians, birds and turtles to name a few.
Leaves play a vital part in sustaining the entire food chain in nature.
Plants and flowers provide food and nesting habitat throughout the warmer months, but the leaves are just as important to the life cycles of so many creatures well into the Winter months.
Leaves also make a fabulous addition to compost piles, which is much better than throwing them away in the garbage. However, it’s even more important to leave some leaf litter in the yard for small critters and insects.
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