Buckthorn is unusual in that the leaves do not change color before they drop in the fall. Explain why this may be one reason that buckthorn leaf litter is higher in nutrients than leaf litter of other trees. Solution Plants absorbs nutrients from the soil through active absorption (expenditure of energy). Among the absorbed nutrients, mobilized nutrients like Nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, potash were withdrawn from the leaves before senescence and leaf fall occurs. Withdrawn elements were transported to younger leaves for further utilization. This process is a kind of energy saving. Only immobilized nutrients like calcium, Sulphur present in the fallen leaves because they were not withdrawn from the older leaves. Buckthorn litter contains high nutrients means the mineral ions not withdrawn from the senescence leaves before leaf fall occurs. Usually, when the plants reabosrbing nutrients means it turns into yellow (if Nitrogen and magnesium withdrawn, chlorophyll breaks down so it looses green colour). But this was not happen in buckthorn..