Deciduous Plants Facts & Worksheets

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The term “deciduous” in horticulture and botany refers to trees and shrubs that periodically shed leaves, typically in the fall, flower petals after blooming, and ripe fruit. Generally speaking, the term “deciduous” refers to “the dropping of a portion that is no longer necessary or helpful” and “the falling away once its purpose is accomplished.” It is the outcome of organic processes in plants.

See the fact file below for more information on Deciduous Plants, or you can download our 31-page Deciduous Plants worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BOTANY

• Similar meanings apply when “deciduous” describes parts of animals, such as deciduous antlers in deer and deciduous teeth in various mammals, including humans or decidua. This uterine lining sheds after childbirth.
• Abscission is the term for this action. Winter can sometimes coincide with leaf loss, especially in temperate or polar areas.
• In several regions of the world, including tropical, subtropical, and arid climates, plants lose their leaves every dry season or other seasons depending on variations in rainfall.
• Evergreen plants, which differ from deciduous ones in that their foliage sheds on a distinct timeline, appear greener year-round because not all of their leaves fall off at once. 
• Semi-deciduous plants are transitional; they shed their old foliage as new growth emerges. Some leaves are retained during the winter or dry seasons. 
• However, some plants are semi-evergreen and lose their leaves before the following growing season.
• Numerous deciduous plants bloom while they are leafless because pollination is more effective during this time. The absence of leaves enhances pollen transport by the wind for plants pollinated by wind. 
• Plants that insects pollinate make the blooms more visible to insects. 
• This tactic carries certain dangers since the blossoms may be harmed by frost in areas with dry seasons, or the plant may experience water stress.
• A combination of lighting and air temperatures causes spring leaf-out and fall leaf fall. The precise requirements will depend on the species. 
• Still, generally speaking, more cold-tolerant genera, like Salix, will leaf out earlier and keep their leaves longer.
• Contrarily, for species like Fraxinus and Juglans, which can only grow in warm, frost-free environments, leafing out requires at least 13 hours of daylight and air temperatures of roughly 70°F (21°C).
• They’ll be among the first trees to shed their leaves in the fall.
• In sub-Arctic regions like Alaska, leaves start to change color in August. 
• However, it usually occurs in late September through early November in temperate countries, although it might happen in November or December in subtropical areas like the southern US.
• Abscission or leaf drop in plants includes intricate physiological signals and adjustments. 
• The chlorophyll level in the leaves stays constant until low temperatures arrive in autumn when the leaf-out is finished, shown by the change to dark green summer from bright green spring leaves.
•  Chlorophyll gradually degrades as autumn approaches and the days become shorter or when plants are under stress from drought, causing other pigments in the leaf to emerge and resulting in non-green colored foliage. 
• When the nights are cool but above freezing and the days become shorter, the brightest leaf colors are created. 
• Yellow, brown, and orange carotenoids are among these other pigments. Though they are not always in the leaves, anthocyanin pigments are responsible for the red and purple colors. 
• Instead, they are created in the foliage in the late summer when the abscission process starts, and sugars are trapped in the leaves. 
• Only regions where days grow shorter and nights grow colder experience spectacular displays of vibrant autumn hues.
• Due to the humid maritime environment and reduced overall species richness, the Northeastern United States and southeastern Canada tend to generate perfect autumn colors.
• In contrast, Europe often produces worse autumn colors. 
• Another issue is that the sun is higher and stronger during the fall since northern Europe is at a higher latitude than the continental United States and southern Canada. 
• Fall colors are more vibrant due to the intense sun and low temperatures. 
• Aside from the Western United States, which has more evergreen than deciduous plants in addition to the West Coast and its maritime climate, the Southern United States also has soft fall colors due to high autumnal temperatures. 
• Due to its milder winters and tinier landmass closer to the equator, most Southern Hemisphere lacks deciduous vegetation. Only southern South America and the south island of New Zealand produce distinctive fall colors.
• When an abscission layer forms between the leaf petiole and the stem, leaf drop begins. 
• This layer, created in the spring during the leaf’s vigorous new growth, is made up of layers of cells capable of separating from one another. 
• The auxin plant hormone, made by the leaf and other plant sections, is responsive to the cells. The abscission layer cells remain connected when auxin production from the leaf is equal to that from the plant’s body. However, when auxin production from the leaf diminishes or stops in the fall or under stress, the abscission layer cells begin to elongate.
• These cells elongate, rupturing the bond between the several cell layers and allowing the leaf to separate from the plant. Additionally, a coating forms to plug the break, preventing sap loss for the plant.
• Dead leaves from some trees, especially oaks and beeches, do not fall off in the fall but instead stay on the tree until the wind blows them off. 
• This behavior is known as “marcescence.” 
• The abscission layer incomplete development is to blame for this.
• Although older trees may show a marcescence of leaves on the lower branches, it is primarily seen in the seedling and sapling stages.
• In vacuoles of parenchyma cells in the roots and the inner bark of many deciduous plants, nitrogen and carbon are removed from the foliage before it is shed and stored as proteins. 
• During spring, these proteins are used as a source of nitrogen to help plants grow new leaves or flowers.

FUNCTION

• Compared to plants with evergreen foliage, plants with deciduous foliage offer both benefits and drawbacks.
• Since deciduous plants shed their leaves to preserve water or to withstand winter weather better, they must grow new foliage during the following proper growth season, which consumes resources that evergreens do not.
• Evergreens lose more water over the winter and may be more vulnerable to predation, especially when young. 
• When deciduous trees are leafless, glazing ice storms cause significantly less branch and trunk breaking.
• Plants may conserve water because there is less liquid water available during the cold winter days.
• Losing leaves throughout the winter may lessen insect damage; maintaining and mending leaves may be more expensive than just losing and regrowing them. Removing leaves reduces cavitation, which can harm a plant’s xylem vessels. 
• This enables deciduous plants to have xylem vessels with larger diameters and a higher rate of transpiration (and, thus, a greater rate of CO2 uptake as this occurs while stomata are open) during the summer growth phase.

DECIDUOUS WOODY PLANTS

• Woody plants have frequently obtained the deciduous trait. Maple, several oaks, Nothofagus, elm, beech, aspen, and birch are a few examples of trees. 
• There are also several coniferous genera, including larch and Metasequoia. 
• A few examples of deciduous shrubs are viburnum and honeysuckle. 
• Most temperate woody vines, such as wisteria, poison ivy, Virginia creeper, and grapes, are deciduous. 
• The trait helps identify plants; for instance, evergreen and deciduous oak species may coexist in some regions of Southern California and the American Southeast.
• No deciduous species exist among the tree-like monocotyledonous plants, such as palms, yuccas, and dracaenas. Yet, leaf-falling seasons frequently correspond with seasons: winter in the case of cold-climate plants or the dry season in the case of tropical plants. Japan is home to the deciduous woody plant known as hydrangea hirta.

REGION

• Deciduous forests are those where most trees lose their leaves after the regular growing season. These forests are widespread worldwide and feature unique soil dynamics, understory vegetation, and ecosystems.
• Two main types of deciduous forests can be found all over the world.
• The plant communities of temperate deciduous forests are found in North and South America, Asia, the southern Himalayan foothills, Europe, and, for agricultural purposes, Oceania. 
• They developed in climates with high seasonal temperature variations, with growth in warm summers, leaf fall in the fall, and dormancy in freezing winters. 
• These communities’ varied life forms are highly impacted by the seasonality of their environment, particularly by temperature and precipitation rates. 

DECIDUOUS PLANT REPRODUCTION

• Deciduous plants have the ability to reproduce sexually and asexually. Without the use of seeds, new plants can be created from the parent plant through asexual reproduction. 
• This can happen by means of procedures like vegetative propagation, in which new plants develop from the stems or leaves of the original plant. Yet, in deciduous plants, sexual reproduction is the main method of reproduction.
• Pollination: Pollination is the process by which the female reproductive cells (ovules) of one plant are contacted by the male reproductive cells (pollen) from the stamen of another plant. Pollination by wind or animals is one way for this to happen.
• Fertilization A zygote is created when the male and female reproductive cells join during fertilization, which takes place when pollen contacts the ovules.
• Development of the seed: The zygote becomes an embryo, and the ovule becomes a seed. The embryo and a supply of nutrients necessary for its growth are both present in the seed.
• When a seed is ready to be spread, it is done so far from the parent plant. This might happen due to animal dispersion, wind, or water.
• Germination: The seed has the ability to develop into a new plant when it lands in a favorable environment.

DECIDUOUS PLANTS IN DIFFERENT SEASONS

• Seasons can have a significant impact on deciduous plants. Deciduous plants are those that lose their leaves annually, and their growth and development are closely tied to seasonal changes.
• In general, deciduous plants respond to seasonal changes in the following ways:
• Spring: During the spring, deciduous plants begin to grow new leaves and shoots. As temperatures rise and days become longer, they enter a period of rapid growth and development.
• Summer: During the summer, deciduous plants are in full leaf and typically experience their highest rates of growth. They rely on warmth and sunshine to photosynthesize and produce energy for their growth.
• Autumn: As the days get shorter and temperatures start to drop, deciduous plants start to prepare for winter by shutting down their growth and reducing their metabolic activity. 
• They also begin to shed their leaves, a process known as leaf senescence. Before shedding their leaves, plants withdraw nutrients from the leaves and store them in the roots, making them available for use in the following growing season.
• Winter: During the winter, deciduous plants are dormant, with no active growth taking place. They have shed their leaves and are conserving energy until the next growing season. Some species can tolerate cold temperatures and freezing, while others go into deeper dormancy to protect themselves from the harsh winter weather.
• In summary, seasonal changes affect deciduous plants in various ways, such as their growth, leaf production, energy storage, and dormancy, allowing them to adapt and survive in different environmental conditions.

Deciduous Plants Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Deciduous Plants across 31 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Deciduous Plants. Generally speaking, the term “deciduous” refers to “the dropping of a portion that is no longer necessary or helpful” and “the falling away once its purpose is accomplished.” It is the outcome of organic processes in plants.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Deciduous Plants Facts
2. Leaf Observation
3. Tree Life Cycle
4. Tell the Differences
5. Word Generator
6. How to Reproduce?
7. A Deciduous Role
8. Power of Four Season
9. Tree ID Walk
10. The Leaves Keep Falling
11. Leaf Rubbing

Frequently Asked Questions

What are deciduous plants?

Deciduous plants are plants that lose their leaves seasonally, usually in the fall or winter. They are distinguished from evergreen plants, which keep their leaves year-round.

Why do deciduous plants lose their leaves?

Deciduous plants lose their leaves as a strategy to conserve water during the dry season or winter months. The leaves contain water and the loss of leaves reduces the amount of water that the plant loses through transpiration.

What are some examples of deciduous plants?

Examples of deciduous plants include oak trees, maple trees, birch trees, and many types of shrubs, such as dogwoods and lilacs.

How do deciduous plants prepare for winter?

Deciduous plants prepare for winter by shedding their leaves and going into a period of dormancy. They also store food reserves in their roots to survive the winter.

How do deciduous plants benefit the environment?

Deciduous plants provide a variety of benefits to the environment, including providing food and habitat for wildlife, reducing soil erosion, and improving air and water quality. Their leaves also decompose and provide nutrients for the soil, which can help other plants grow.

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Link will appear as Deciduous Plants Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 13, 2023