Why do some trees get rid of their leaves in the winter?

Answer 1

because they need to store energy to survive the cold.

its actually triggered by the amount of light the plant receives in certain seasons.
summer = 12 hours of light in 24 hours
winter = 8 hours of light in 24 hours

so fall starts to drop around 10 hours and the plant stops making chlorophyll. that's why the leaves turn color. that's actually the natural color, chlorophyll makes them green.

in the summer, the sun and soil are used (chlorophyll changes sun to usable energy) to make energy so the plant can grow.

in the winter, the plant needs to retain energy to fight the cold, so It drops it leaves (since they are now kinda useless) and falls into kinda a dormant non growing state.

when summer comes around again the tree will start to bud nice green leaves, ready to make more energy from the abundant energy the sun offers.

Answer 2

These are diciduous trees that drop their leaves in the fall. Because the temperatures are so low in the winter months, many plants store the food they porduce in the roots for the winter and go complertly dormant ( Not growing or doing anything) until the longer days and warmer temperatures thell them it is time to grow again.
Evergreens-- those trees that stay green all year-- have developed needles as leaves so the cold temperatures and wind of winter cannot dehydrate them. They too go dormant and not do anything, but they can store some of the food in the needles for the next growing season. That way the new growth will get the food faster then those trees that loose all their leaves.

Answer 3

They're deciduous trees. In the winter there isn't as much sun and it takes more energy to keep the leaves alive than they make. So, it's easier to get rid of them for a few months and then grow new ones when there's more sun.

Answer 4

Leaves are expensive organs for a tree to build and maintain. During winter (in cold climates) or the dry season (in warmer climates) it becomes difficult for the tree to maintain its water balance as there is less free water available in the soil. It is thus difficult for the tree to keep its leaves turgid and the cells of the tissues in the leaves would become damaged by the cold in temperate areas, or the heat in warmer areas. Instead of remaining actively growing during this time of the year the tree enters a dormant period.
Trees are adapted to the climate of the area where they grow. They do not wait for their leaves to be damaged by the harsh conditions of the winter or dry season before losing them. They prepare in advance for the onset of the unfavourable season by getting ready to lose their leaves. The enzymes which control the functioning chemical pathways in the leaves e.g. photosynthesis, contain nutrients which are valuable to the tree because they are in short supply in the soil from where they are absorbed. Before the tree abscises or separates off its leaves, it breaks down many of the organic compounds and reabsorbs the valuable nutrients from its leaves. It will reuse these in the next growing season. Nutrients which are reabsorbed from leaves include nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P).

Answer 5

trees lose there leaves just before winter in the fall because they are decidous. these leaves change color because the clorplasts or chlorophyll which makes them green stop producing the things that keeps themn green to save energy and sugar for the spring.