Thursday 23 October 2014

The science of autumn colors

Science Focus

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Whether you make a point of going on leaf-peeping excursions or just enjoy the turning leaves shading your street, you probably wonder what the story is behind the autumn palette of maples, oaks, birches, and other deciduous trees. The answer lies in biochemistry.


The cycle of colors in the leaves of deciduous trees is influenced by weather and temperature (more on that later), but one of the primary drivers is the lengths of nights and days, which govern a tree's growth cycle. As nights start getting longer, deciduous trees start to form what are called abscission layers at the intersection...

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 » see original post http://theweek.com/article/index/269787/the-science-of-autumn-colors
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