Leaves feed our soil and growing insects
In addition to adding valuable nutrients back to the soil when they decompose, leaves provide stable habitat where many insect pollinators can overwinter. Because leaves are so important to our campus ecosystem, we are experimenting with different approaches to managing leaf accumulation, including “letting them be.”
Our project has identified a number of paired research sites where leaves will either be removed or kept in place/added. Over the course of the coming year or longer, we will track the social and ecological responses to the changes at these sites. Stay tuned to this website for more information about the project/updates.
The goal of this work is to provide educational and research opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to study the impacts of simple restoration practices that can be incorporated into landscapes