Why do leaves change color in the fall?

Published by Adrien - Friday, October 11, 2024 - Other Languages: FR, DE, ES, PT

Fall is a season when nature seems to undergo a transformation, and one of the most remarkable phenomena is the changing color of leaves. Shifting from a deep green to vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, trees present us with a colorful natural spectacle. But why do these leaves change color?


Illustration image Pixabay

The primary reason lies in a pigment found in leaves: chlorophyll. This pigment is responsible for the green color of leaves and plays an essential role in photosynthesis, the process by which plants capture sunlight to produce sugar. During the warm months of spring and summer, chlorophyll is constantly produced and broken down, which maintains the green color of leaves.

When fall arrives and the days shorten, temperatures drop. In preparation for winter, trees begin to ready themselves for a period of dormancy. At this point, they stop producing chlorophyll. As the existing chlorophyll breaks down and is no longer replaced, its green color fades, revealing other pigments that had been masked until this point.

These pigments, called carotenoids and anthocyanins, give the leaves their yellow, orange, and red colors. Carotenoids, responsible for the yellow and orange hues, are always present in the leaves but are overshadowed by chlorophyll in the summer. Anthocyanins, in contrast, produce red and purplish colors and only form in the fall when certain light and temperature conditions align.

The change in leaf color is thus a sign that trees are conserving their energy to survive the winter months. Once nutrients are reabsorbed, the leaves eventually fall, allowing the tree to preserve even more energy by shielding itself from the cold.

It is this careful preparation by trees for the colder season that gives us the colorful fall landscapes, a phenomenon that is as beautiful as it is vital for plant survival.
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