Last week I, like many of you, walked outside, took a deep breath and said, “Mmm fall!”  Although technically fall does not begin until September 22nd, it definitely feels like the season has already arrived.  As much as I love summer, it is hard to deny the beauty of autumn.  Much of that beauty (and that distinctive smell) comes from the changing of the leaves.

The word “fall” first became associated with the season thanks to multiple poets’ use of the phrase, “the fall of the leaves.”  By the 1600s, the phrase was shortened to the single word fall and used as an alternative name for the season.  By the 1800s, it had become the preferred name in the United States.

Someone recently asked me why leaves change color in the fall.  The pigments that form the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows we see in fall are actually present in the leaves all summer.  During the summer, however, the colors we see in fall are drowned out by the green pigments in the chlorophyll that help produce food for the plant from sunlight.  As the days grow shorter, the cells in the leaves produce less chlorophyll, and the other pigments can shine through.

While fallen leaves are fun to rake into big piles for children to play in, they are also an essential part of the ecosystem.  Fallen leaves act as a mulch, covering the ground, preventing erosion, protecting newly fallen seeds throughout the winter, and providing habitat for insects and other animals.  As the leaves decay, they recycle nutrients back into the soil.

It isn’t everywhere in the world that you can see fall foliage.  It is only in temperate forests with deciduous trees.  The sight is considered to be so spectacular that tourists spend billions of dollars each year traveling to catch a glimpse of the fleeting natural beauty.  There are even forecasts to tell if it’s going to be a good year for viewing and when the peak color is expected to be.  I feel incredibly blessed to live in an area where I only have to step outside my front door to enjoy the colors of fall everywhere I go throughout my day.

I am looking forward to enjoying the season from start to finish and hoping that it will be a good year for fall leaves.

Crystal Kelly is a feature writer for Bizarre Bytes with those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy, or to stump your in-laws.

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