How do fall leaves get from place to place

Fall color enriches a road near Tully, New York. Yellow and gold pigments are present in tree leaves throughout the growing season but are masked by green pigments. French author Albert Camus tells us, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” And what opulent bouquets the leaves of autumn do create—whole mountainsides of dazzling color. But nature has a way of combining the sublime with the practical, and the fiery reds, yellows and oranges of Why Falling Leaves? As winter descends, trees in temperate and boreal zones face punishingly cold temperatures and frigid winds, conditions that would damage leaves, so trees have to reduce themselves to their toughest parts—stems, trunks, branches, bark. Leaves must fall. Evergreens can hang on to their leaves through winter, because their foliage is coated in a wax that helps protect against cold, and their cells bear anti-freeze chemicals that ward off winter’s worst woes. Not so for broadleaf, or deciduous, trees. The fluids that flow through their leaves are thin and susceptible to freezing, the tissues tender. Winter cold dooms the leaves, and trees save energy by getting rid of them. Let’s take a look at the process. As the dark mantle of winter’s dwindling days falls, trees can sense the loss of light. Thanks to chemical light receptors—phytochrome, which detects red light, and cryptochrome, which is sensitive to blue—trees can register day-length changes of as little as half an hour. When they do, they underg...

Have you ever wondered how, or why the leaves on the trees start to change from green to all sorts of colors in the fall? And why do we call it “Fall Foliage”? “Foliage” is just a fancy term meaning plant, or leaves from a tree. We refer to the term “Fall Foliage” when referencing the changing of the leaves on the trees. Why does this happen? It all comes down to the changing of the seasons, and the amount of sunlight we receive throughout the year. Weather also plays a pivotal role in how much the leaves change and how vibrant they become from year to year. During the summer, our length of daylight increases and the temperatures are the warmest, which signals to the leaves that it’s time to start making food again after a long winter. Once fall comes around, the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, which signals to the leaves to stop their food making process. This results in the gradual breakdown of a pigment called chlorophyll that’s found in plants that gives them that lush, green color. Chlorophyll gives plants their green color because it does not absorb the green wavelengths of light. Since this color is not absorbed, it’s reflected off the leaves, and that’s the color we see! Mini Chemistry Lesson Below The color change we see ultimately occurs due to the chemical processes that happen when less chlorophyll is produced by the leaves, causing their colors to change in appearance as the sunlight reflects off of them. When chlorophyll breaks down, the lea...

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Why You Should Leave the Leaves Savvy gardeners know that keeping fallen leaves on their property benefits wildlife and the environment • Laura Tangley • Garden for Wildlife • Oct 01, 2015 The marbled salamander (above) and eastern box turtle (below) are among many bird, mammal, reptile, invertebrate and other species that rely on leaf litter for food and shelter. IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN: The air turns crisp, the leaves turn red and gold and homeowners turn to the annual chore known as “fall garden cleanup”—including disposal of those leaves after they fall to the ground. Traditionally, leaf removal has entailed three steps: Rake leaves (or blast them with a blower) into piles, transfer the piles to bags and place the bags out to be hauled off to a landfill. Yet, increasingly, conservationists say these actions not only harm the environment but rob your garden of nutrients while destroying wildlife habitat. The alternative? “Let fallen leaves stay on your property,” says National Wildlife Federation Naturalist Leaves in Landfills According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, leaves and other yard debris account for more than 13 percent of the nation’s solid waste—a whopping 33 million tons a year. Without enough oxygen to decompose, this organic matter releases the greenhouse gas methane, says The Green Gardener’s Guide. In fact, solid-waste landfills are the largest U.S. source of man-made methane—and that’s aside from the carbon dioxide generated by gas-pow...

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The map uses an algorithm developed from tons of data — like historical temperatures and forecast precipitation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — to create a predictive map of when trees will reach peak viewing status around the country. The algorithm then produces a county-by-county breakdown of when colorful leaves are expected to peak that you can toggle through week-by-week. "Similar to any meteorological forecast, leaf predictions will never be 100% accurate," company founder and statistical expert David Angotti said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure. "However, after publishing our predictive fall foliage map for nearly a decade, we are quite confident in our data sources, process, and algorithm." Whether you're trying to figure out when's the perfect time to go for a long drive or when to plan the perfect outdoor photoshoot, the Fall Foliage Map has all the information you need to guarantee your most colorful autumn ever. And if you're looking for additional trip help, SmokyMountains.com also put together a list of Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. TRAVEL + LEISURE is a registered trademark of Travel + Leisure Co., registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure magazine may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.