Deciduousness

Deciduousness is the seasonal shedding of leaves or other plant structures. In trees, it commonly means losing leaves during an unfavorable season and regrowing them later.

Abscission: The regulated separation of a plant part from the rest of the plant. An abscission zone forms at the leaf base and enables seasonal leaf drop.
Deciduous forest: A forest dominated by trees that shed their leaves seasonally. These forests are the most familiar ecosystems structured by widespread deciduousness.
Leaf: A plant organ specialized for capturing light and exchanging gases, usually through a flattened blade. Deciduousness concerns the seasonal loss of this plant organ.
Leaf litter: Dead leaves and other plant material accumulated on the ground. Fallen leaves from deciduous plants supply much of the forest floor's litter.
Photoperiodism: A biological response to the relative lengths of daylight and darkness. Changing day length helps time autumn leaf senescence and shedding in many species.
Phenology: The study of recurring biological events and their timing in relation to seasonal and environmental cycles. Leaf fall and leaf emergence are measurable phenological events.
Dormancy: A temporary state of reduced growth and activity that helps an organism endure unfavorable conditions. Leaf shedding commonly accompanies seasonal dormancy in trees.
Decomposition: The breakdown of organic matter into simpler substances by physical, chemical, and biological processes. Decomposition releases nutrients from the leaves shed each year.
Leaf senescence: The regulated aging of a leaf, involving the breakdown and recycling of its cellular components. Senescence precedes shedding and recovers nutrients from leaves before they fall.
Autumn leaf color: The seasonal colors produced as many deciduous leaves break down chlorophyll before falling. Color change often accompanies the senescence that precedes deciduous leaf fall.

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