The connotation of 'the future'

Because they do so many things that seem to prepare them for the approach of winter, plants and animals seem to know that winter's coming, but of course neither knows the future the way human do. So what causes these behavioral changes? According to biologists, both animals and plants are profoundly affected by the decrease in the amount of sunlight they receive in autumn.
Among animals, the change in the day's length and the resulting decrease in sunlight are both registered in the hypothalamus, the master control" gland of the brain. In response, the hypothalamus secretes hormones that trigger chemical reactions throughout the animal's body.
[Source: Reading for Results Ninth Edition by Laraine Flemming]
I'd like to know "the future" indicates "the approach of winter."
Thank you in advance for your help.