The distinct smell of fallen leaves that many people associate with autumn is well-described by scientists. The organic substances that trees secrete in the autumn season produce close associations in human minds (Weissier, 2020). A similar notion is mentioned by Schmunk (2019), who describes the scent of the products of fall as earthy. Moreover, it is stated that the detritus coming from decaying leaves feeds various organisms, an exemplar of which are mushrooms (Weissier, 2020).
Klein (2019) also attributes the smell of autumn to mushrooms and tree leaves. Furthermore, in autumn, gases released by dying trees are often used in oils that people use for aromatic purposes (Weissier, 2020). It is noticeable that wild mushrooms have a specific unmistakable scent of the earth (Weissier, 2020). Finally, the associations between the smell of fallen leaves and autumn are unique for each person (Schmunk, 2019). Thus, autumn is perceived through the smell of organic products produced by the trees and mushrooms, and each person has their own scent of the fall.
Reference List
Klein, J. (2019) ‘It’s one of autumn’s best scents, but not everyone smells it’. The New York Times.
Weissier, D. (2020) ‘Scents of autumn’. The House Home Magazine.
Schmunk, R. (2019) ‘The science behind the smell of fall’. CBS News.