We are once again approaching that time of year when we will set our clocks back in the great “falling behind” that assures us of darker afternoons and earlier sunrises. In the naturalistic world, the word “fall” has many connotations and can be associated with many processes beyond just the trees shedding their leaves as the days shorten. Lots of things fall in nature, due not only to the force gravity exerts upon them but also because they are genetically programmed to do so for their survival.
The act of falling in nature is almost an art form that is more visible in some cases than in others. For instance, few people miss the annual leaf drop or the sight of a heavy snowfall. But other things are going on in the natural world that escape much of our attention, yet they are as crucial to the Earth’s survival as is rainfall.
When a pine tree sheds its cones, they fall straight to the ground, or get caught in the thicker uppermost branches, releasing their seeds in the process. In a pinecone, the seeds are located beneath each scale, or bract, along the cone’s surface. Some cones fall to the earth unopened, their scales shut tightly against the cone, while others open before they fall, releasing their seeds during their earthbound journey. Like deciduous trees, pine and firs shed their needles, carpeting the ground and creating space on the branches for new growth. Similarly, oak trees release their acorns, which in many cases begin to take root not long after they hit the ground.
While it’s not uncommon during autumn to find the ground beneath a pine tree littered with cones, we are less likely to notice the spores being released by the miniscule cones produced by the club and horsetail mosses. If it weren’t for the wind scooping them up as soon as they exit the pods, most of the spores would fall to the ground. Much sooner than this, birch and maple trees have long since released their catkins and seeds, the latter drifting to earth in their characteristic helicopter-like motion. And all year long in the flower garden, many biennials and perennials assure the continuation of their species by dropping their seeds to the earth where it is hoped that new ones will sprout in the spring. Woodland flowers do the same in an endless cycle of procreation that assures the forest floor its own ration of color.
If not picked, fruit trees shed their seed-bearing vessels, too. While we love taking a bite out of a crisp apple on an equally crisp fall day, aside from providing us with a source of food, the apple is actually the vessel that carries the seeds that will produce more trees. The same holds true for other seed-bearing fruits such as grapes, peaches, cherries and apricots. Yes, their fruits are delicious, but, botanically and genetically speaking, these trees and vines are more concerned with assuring their own propagation than providing us with snacks.
Snow falls in the winter and rain quenches the earth during the summer. Night falls, leaves fall, seeds drop, and dead trees topple over in the woods. Baby birds fall out of nests and maple sap drips down into buckets. And when making a wish is the order of the night, nothing but a falling star will do. Everything in nature falls at some point, returning to the earth from which it got its start. How easily the human concept of “falling behind” fits into that picture, for it is clearly in keeping with everything else going on in the natural world these days.
— Rachel Lovejoy, a freelance writer living in Lyman, can be reached via e-mail at rlovejoy84253@roadrunner.com.
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