Leaves of Red is a photograph by The Forests Edge Photography - Diane Sandoval which was uploaded on October 11th, 2020.
Title
Leaves of Red
Artist
The Forests Edge Photography - Diane Sandoval
Medium
Photograph - Nature Photography
Description
LEAVES OF RED
Near Crested Butte, Colorado
The phenomenon that occurs each fall seems magical, but it's simply chemistry. Red leaves are a bit rare. As I continue to study Colorado's aspen trees, I've learned a couple of new things this year and it's something that I always suspected. Some trees will turn the same color of oranges or even reds, year after year (given the right conditions). It's a combination of their individual genetics and weather.
"The reason aspen leaves change, like the leaves of any deciduous tree, is because of a decrease in photosynthetic activity as the days get shorter in the fall. The gold and yellow colors we see in autumn are always there; in the fall, they simply are revealed when the green hues from chlorophyll production fade." (Colorado State University).
I also learned why some aspen stands turn red rather than yellow and it has to do with two different chemicals present in the leaf cells. Yellow and orange leaf colors are due to xanthophyll and carotene pigments, where reds and purples are due to anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are produced in the autumn, in response to bright light and excess plant sugars within leaf cells, along with nighttime temperatures. (According to USDA Forest Service)
As much as I love science and facts surrounding our natural world, I'm still going to believe in a little bit of magic.
Uploaded
October 11th, 2020
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