Deciduous Trees

The word deciduous is derived from the Latin word ‘decidere’ which means ‘to fall off.’ Deciduous trees are those trees that shed their leaves seasonally every year and are completely barren for some part of the year. Examples of deciduous types of trees include oaks, maples and birches.

The process of losing all their leaves for a part of the year is called ‘abscission.’ This period for abscission varies from species to species. In some trees, abscission takes place in winter, in some other trees leaf loss happens during the dry season or during seasonal variations on rainfall.

The opposite of deciduous trees are evergreen trees. In these trees the leaves persist throughout the year. There are also semi-deciduous types of trees. These are trees where the leaves begin to fall only as new leaves emerge. And finally, there are the semi-evergreen trees. These are trees which lose most of their leaves, but some are retained even during cold or dry seasons.

Deciduous trees tend to have flowers after they have shed their leaves. This is very useful in ensuring proper pollination. In the absence of leaves, it becomes easy for the wind to scatter the pollen. Birds and bees, too, find it easy to locate and reach the flowers of deciduous trees when there are no leaves.

This strategy adopted by deciduous trees has its own share of risks. Flowers are at a risk in both the cold and dry season. In the cold season they may get affected by frost, whereas in the dry season they may suffer due to lack of hydration. However, deciduous trees can preserve large amounts of water in their trunks and branches which are usually huge, thick and heavyset. Deciduous trees are also protected by their leaflessness as it reduces breakage from glaze ice storms. Also, deciduous trees have an in-built mechanism to prevent loss of water during cold or dry months.

One of the most striking features of deciduous trees is the blaze of colors that adorn the leaves just before they fall. In the case of most trees, chlorophyll which is used up in the process of photosynthesis is replaced immediately. This is why leaves continue to look green at all times. In the case of deciduous trees however, the tree stops replacing this chlorophyll as the season for shedding approaches. When this happens, other pigments present in the leaves become dominant and this results in the fascinating fall color of the leaves.

There are many advantages to the deciduous nature of trees. Losing leaves in winter reduces the damage caused by insects. It also reduces the energy used by the tree that goes in repairing leaves and ensuring that they function properly. It most cases, it is easier to simply re-grow leaves than maintain the entire foliage. Since deciduous trees are mostly found in regions where it is difficult for trees to find sufficient nutrition during winter or dry months, losing their leaves is a much more efficient way for these trees to save precious resources.