Stefan F. Wirth<p>My photo from 2019 shows a <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/treetrunk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>treetrunk</span></a> in the <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/Berlin" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Berlin</span></a> <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/winter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>winter</span></a>, which has not fallen off all its dried <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/autumnleaves" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>autumnleaves</span></a>. In autumn, many <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/deciduous" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>deciduous</span></a> <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/trees" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>trees</span></a> cork the xylem connections of their leaves so that they do not evaporate more water than the tree can absorb through its roots. The <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/withered" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>withered</span></a> <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/fallenleaves" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fallenleaves</span></a> serve as a <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/microhabitat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>microhabitat</span></a> for specialized <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/decomposing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>decomposing</span></a> <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/soilorganisms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>soilorganisms</span></a>. If old leaves remain on the tree, the organisms there will begin <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/decomposition" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>decomposition</span></a> processes.</p><p>© <a href="https://biologists.social/tags/StefanFWirth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>StefanFWirth</span></a> Berlin 2019/2024</p>