The Autumn Leaf’s Second Journey

Two very different leaves lay beside the woodland path. One was still brown and almost whole. The other had fine veins and little crumbly pieces left. Puschel stopped beside them.

Puschel“The leaf took off its coat! Or someone made a lace curtain from it.”

Flauschi held the green magnifying glass above the older leaf. They lifted nothing. A little woodlouse walked over the already visible remains. Puschel pointed at the holes from a distance.

Flauschi“This leaf has been here longer. Small animals, fungi and tiny living things slowly break old leaves down. This is called decomposition: a whole leaf becomes smaller parts and other substances.”

Puschel watched the woodlouse. Flauschi explained that no single animal did all the work. Woodlice and other animals break leaves into pieces. Fungi and bacteria help break them down further. Bacteria are so small that we cannot see individual ones with our eyes alone.

Puschel“A woodland tidy-up team! But where is their broom?”

Flauschi“They need no broom. Some plant remains become part of humus. That is the name for remains of living things in soil. Humus is an important part of soil, but it is not the whole soil.”

Flauschi explained that soil also held small pieces of rock, water and air. As leaves broke down, things that new plants needed to grow could be released. But a leaf did not turn into a heap of soil in a minute.

Puschel“Then these leaves are in no hurry. Their second journey is a very slow one.”

It took different lengths of time depending on the leaf and weather. They left every leaf and the woodlouse in place. Puschel thought about the green leaves above them. The fallen ones had not simply become useless. They still belonged to the woods.