Nature Metamorphoses: Why the leaves in the trees in the fall change its color

Plants use a set of pigments to produce energy from sunlight, and in the fall, some of them become more noticeable than others. We witnesses the transformation of trees and other plants every autumn. The leaves on the trees before they fall, changes its color from green to orange, yellow and red. But why do plants have such changes and how do they understand when to change? About it writes Live Science. In focus. Technology has appeared its Telegram channel.

Subscribe not to miss the latest and most intrusive news from the world of science! Trees and shrubs that grow in the temperate climatic zone of the Earth, which throw their leaves in the fall are called deciduous plants. On the other hand, coniferous plants, which remain green, grow in the same belt. Both types of trees produce less energy from sunlight in winter, but coniferous trees are adapted to keep their evergreen appearance due to the minimization of water loss.

According to Adam Mura from the Colorado forest service, trees of all kinds capture the environmental signals that tell them when you need to start preparing for winter. In early autumn, the weather conditions change, becomes colder, and the duration of daylight is reduced. Accordingly, the plants receive less sunlight, which they use for energy production and gradually begin to refuse to maintain the viability of the leaves.

Although chlorophyll is the most common pigment in a leaf that trees and shrubs are used to produce light, plants have other pigments. When the amount of chlorophyll in the leaf begins to decrease, these pigments manifest themselves. According to Kristina Besanson from the University of Massachuseta in Amchhrst, the USA, the leaves become red thanks to pigments such as anthocyanins, and orange and yellow - thanks to pigments called carotenoids and xanthophiles.

But different trees have their own set of secondary pigments, which determines the color of their autumn leaves. According to scientists, trees create energy with the help of photosynthesis and leaves in this process plays a major role. Different pigments in the leaf help to capture the light of different wavelengths and this allows the trees to produce more energy. But not all trees have a rich set of secondary pigments, but those in which they are growing quickly.

According to Bezanson, the time when trees begin to change the color of their leaves depends not only on changes in the environment, but also on the genetics of plants. Even when the deciduous plants completely drop their leaves in late autumn or early winter, they are still an important component of the ecosystem. Trees block the movement of strong winds and also provide a habitat for birds. As for fallen leaves, it is a good fertilizer for the soil, because it fills it with nutrients.