EDMOND HARRY LUCY EDMOND Ah-ha, told you. The Holly tree doesn't lose its leaves in Autumn, it keeps them all Winter long. LUCY But then, why does the chestnut tree lose its leaves? HARRY So tell me kids, what are you studying today? EDMOND We were wondering why trees lose their leaves in Autumn. LUCY Then we found out some trees don't lose their leaves, so we don't know what to believe. HARRY Both answers are right. Not all tree species are the same. Some trees have deciduous foliage, meaning they lose their leaves in Autumn. EDMOND Like the chestnut tree. LUCY Or the oak tree. HARRY The other trees are called Marcescent trees, because they always keep their leaves or needles. EDMOND Oh yeah, like the Fir tree. LUCY Or the Oak tree. EDMOND No, the Oak tree can't lose and keep its leaves all at the same time. LUCY Oh yeah! What about this one! Looks like it has all its leaves to me! EDMOND Hmm, well, um... LUCY So...? Who's the best at identifying which trees keep their leaves? HARRY In fact, both of you are correct! Most oaks trees lose their leaves, but there are some varieties that don't, like the Holm Oak tree for example. LUCY Told you so! EDMOND Grrr. That's not fair. How are we supposed to tell the difference? HARRY Most of the Marcescent trees have very small leaves. LUCY Oh! If they're small, they're not heavy, so they don't fall. HARRY No. Because they're small, the tree doesn't need to feed them a lot of sap to keep them on. EDMOND What is sap? HARRY Tree sap is what circulates in the tree, it's like tree blood. HARRY In Winter, when it's cold, the tree just has enough sap to nourish itself. EDMOND I get it! If its leaves are too big, it'll let them fall to the ground. LUCY In other words, the tree's too lazy to take care of its leaves, so they fall off and make a mess everywhere. EDMOND Since when does that kind of mess bother you? LUCY Yeah, you're right, I love playing in the dead leaves! HARRY One thing's for sure, dead leaves are essential for the trees' health. Look what it says on the next page. EDMOND It says: The dead leaves fall from the tree. Then on the ground, they transform into Humus. LUCY And what is Humus? EDMOND Um... I think it's food for the Forest to eat. HARRY Yes, that's correct. Not only is Humus plant food, it also helps the ground retain water and breathe by airing it out properly. LUCY And they can do all that with dead leaves? HARRY Humus is also created by insects, earthworms and slugs. They eat leaves, digest them, then after, they'll make their droppings... LUCY You mean that they'll go poopoo and peepee? HARRY Yes, that's what I mean... It's all part of the decomposition process. This humus will nourish the soil, and it's from this enriched soil that the tree will feed. LUCY Oh! EDMOND Oh! HARRY So kids, did you understand everything we said? EDMOND Yes! In Fall, the leaves fall from the trees. On the ground, small animals eat them and help with the decomposition process. LUCY The leaves turn into humus which feeds the trees so they can grow back new leaves in Spring. EDMOND And in Fall, the dead leaves will fall again. LUCY Well, not if it's a marcescent tree like the Oak tree, of course. EDMOND You mean a Holm Oak tree! LUCY HARRY