Leaf-peepers may not appreciate how much time homeowners and gardeners spend dealing with leaves in the fall. Of course, leaves fall in the forest every year with no raking involved. But for your yard ...

This is the time of year when Nicole Hughes gets constantly distracted by the fall foliage as she drives around North Carolina. "I'm always looking," says Hughes, a biologist at High Point University.

Falling leaves in autumn are part of a tree's natural cycle of entering dormancy for the winter. Leaving fallen leaves in your yard provides crucial habitat for overwintering insects and amphibians.