Do trees shed their leaves in autumn? Growing up, we were regularly taught in geography about the different seasons and how most trees would shed their leaves in autumn, while evergreen trees do not shed their leaves. However, I live in India (at about 28° N), and I saw that many trees on our campus were shedding leaves in March instead. So is this shedding leaves in autumn a valid theory, or just a gross generalization?

The act of shedding leaves is a response to an environmental pressure (dehydration). In the northern hemisphere trees 'recall' the nitrogen and carbon present in their leaves in the fall in preparation for winter, to prevent dehydration of the tree during the dry period(s).

For your case in India, the 'dry season' is between March-May, and as a result the trees recall their C/N at that point.