Why do AUTUMN leaves change colors?

 

The amazing time of fall is officially here and you are getting the sense of autumn in the air. Golden leaves lay scattered on the ground, and the smell of dampness filling the air gives a different feeling of the annual. This means the leaves will change their color from green to different shades of red, yellow, and orange. But what exactly makes this transfiguration?

All it boils down to is photosynthesis! Three factors influence autumn leaf color: leaf pigments, length of night, and weather.

Leaves change color as chlorophyll, begins to break down in c0lder weather. As the season changes, temperatures drop and days get shorter. Trees get less direct sunlight, and the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down.

When the temperature drops down and there's less daylight, the tree begins to conserve the energy it generated in the spring and summer months. As autumn progresses, the tree will send pigments that are directed to take apart chlorophyll pigments. Once the chlorophyll breaks down, the other pigments that weren’t visible to the human eye before are now on full display. Basically, there are three types of pigment present in autumn leaves color. Every tree has a different combination of colors: Yellow leaves contain Xanthophyll, orange, brown leaves contain Carotenoid and red leaves contain Anthocyanin(this pigment gives color to such familiar things as cranberries, red apples, concord grapes, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and plums. They are water-soluble and appear in the watery liquid of leaf cells).

As night length increases in the autumn, chlorophyll production slows down and then stops, and eventually all the chlorophyll is destroyed. The carotenoids and anthocyanin that are present in the leaf are then unmasked and show their colors.

Trees in the temperate zones store these sugars for the winter dormant period. Dark leaves are the result of a chemical change. The deeper color appears when sugars that get trapped in the leaves produce new pigments that weren't part of the leaf in the growing season. Like oak and dogwoods produce identical dark red leaves.

 Moreover, temperature and rainfall also affect the brightness of the fall colors. Areas with more rain and cooler temperature will see more vibrant colors compared to warmer, dryer locations. When there's a cool fall, the red maple leaves appear brighter as well. The best colors are produced when the weather is dry, sunny, and cool. Places that are warmer won't see the same degree of changing color.