The
sight of trees turning golden-brown and the sound of fallen leaves
underfoot is something usually associated with October and November.
Yet in Devon/the South West autumn seems to have arrived two months
early as many tree leaves are already changing colour and falling to the
ground.
It
seems that the dry, hot summer has ushered in what is known as a ‘false
autumn’, in which some trees are abandoning their normal seasonal
cycle and closing down prematurely in an attempt to survive by
conserving water and energy.
A
leading local nature conservation charity is now warning that this
‘false autumn’ may be a sign of wider problems for wildlife in coming
months. Devon Wildlife Trust says that when October and November do
arrive the usual bounty of wild foods may already be depleted, leaving a
real risk of scarcity for birds and mammals.
Devon Wildlife Trust has seen evidence of the ‘false autumn’ at many of the 60 nature reserves it manages across the county.
The Trust’s Steve Hussey said:
“Our
staff and volunteers have reported seeing lots of trees whose leaves
have turned brown prematurely. Many trees are also shedding
their leaves two or even three months ahead of when we’d expect them
to. A member of our nature reserves’ team told me that in the 30 years
he’s been working on his sites he’s never known it to be drier and for
so many trees to have experienced leaf loss so
early in the year.”
Leaves
which are turning prematurely brown and being shed are signs that a
tree is stressed and attempting to conserve water which would
otherwise be lost in the normal process of photosynthesis. It is a
problem which is especially acute in young trees which lack the deep
root systems that older trees use to reach water.
Steve Hussey said:
“For
some trees this may be the last straw – the long dry spell will mean
they won’t be able to survive. For others, it could mean
they are weakened and more open to tree diseases in the future.”
Devon
Wildlife Trust has also had other reports of the ‘false autumn’, with
blackberries, hawthorn berries, hazelnuts and other fruits
appearing much earlier than usual. Some other reports have suggested
that the lack of rain in the summer has also made many wild fruits
smaller and ‘less juicy’ than normal.
Steve Hussey said:
“A
very early and thinner, less bountiful wild harvest will present a
further challenge to many of the birds and mammals which rely
on a diet of berries, nuts and seeds to build-up their reserves of body
fat before the onset of winter. Take dormice, as just one example:
these are animals which must maximise their bodyweight in October and
November in order to have a better chance of surviving
their long winter hibernation. To do this they will consume large
numbers of high fat foods, especially hazelnuts, during autumn. But if
those hazelnuts and other hedgerow fruits have already been and gone in
August then that presents them with a real problem.
Nature’s
timing is everything for our wildlife. The climate crisis is bringing
with it seasonal weather patterns which our wildlife
is just not adapted to. Our long, hot summer and the ‘false autumn’
will have a knock on for many species right into the real autumn months
and beyond.”
Despite
some recent rainfall, Devon Wildlife Trust is advising that the public
continue to put out a regular supply of water in their
gardens and to make this available at ground level for animals
including hedgehogs and badgers, as well as in traditional bird baths
off the ground. Regular feeding of garden wildlife with a range of high
energy foods is something the Trust also advises.
Some trees are shedding their leaves earlier in an attempt to conserve water and energy - Photo credit
Chris Maguire
.jpg "Dormouse – one of the species which may be badly affected by the ‘false autumn’ - Photo copyright Terry Whittaker (All Rights Reserved)")
Dormouse – one of the species which may be badly affected by the ‘false autumn’ - Photo credit:
Terry Whittaker
Devon Wildlife Trust
is the county’s leading environmental charity, with more than 37,000
members. The charity manages 60 nature reserves across Devon, including a
range of beautiful landscapes such as woodlands, meadows, wetlands and
heaths. Devon Wildlife Trust relies on charitable
donations, grants and the generous support of its members and the
general public to raise more than £5million every year. Money raised is
spent maintaining our work for wildlife conservation and education in
Devon, for present and future generations. More
at www.devonwildlifetrust.org
.jpg "Some trees are shedding their leaves earlier in an attempt to conserve water and energy - Photo copyright Chris Maguire (All Rights Reserved)")
.jpg "Dormouse – one of the species which may be badly affected by the ‘false autumn’ - Photo copyright Terry Whittaker (All Rights Reserved)")