Why Leaves Change Color
Why Leaves Change Color
Environmental Science and Forestry
State University of New York College
Why Leaves Change Color
...as featured on weather.com
From the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
The Splendor of Autumn
Every autumn we revel in the beauty of the fall colors. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the seasons change from summer to winter.
During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the foods necessary for the tree's growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. This extraordinary chemical absorbs from sunlight the energy that is used in transforming carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates, such as sugars and starch.
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