Trees shed their leaves for three main reasons. First and foremost, they do this as a strategy to survive harsh weather conditions. For instance, in fall, when there are strong winds, if trees had fresh green leaves on them, the chances of their breaking would increase dramatically. Another trick is thatbare branches can stand the weight of winter snow much better and do not normally break. What is more, leafless trees let the sunshine reach the ground and provide heat for the otherwise frozen world of minuscule creatures living underneath. And last but not least, the shedding of leaves may help trees to pollinate come springtime. Without leaves to get in the way, wind-blown pollen can travel longer distances and reach more trees. Therefore, we should not feel sorry for the seemingly lifeless trees as they know exactly what they are doing!

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