system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do leaves from a branch that dies stay on trees but leaves that naturally die in autumn fall off easily?
gpt
In the fall trees use their leaves to deposite materials that would be detrimental to them over the winter. As such they are designed to be released, and the leaves falling off the branch is something that the plants evolved to do. The death of the connective tissue that keeps the leaves attached is supposed to happen before the leaves die, as it reduces the possibility of damage or infection on the rest of tree.

When a branch dies, both the leaves and the connective tissues die, so it might be easy to break, but it is all still connected.