Find us on Facebook!
Antrim Conservation District
  • Welcome
    • About >
      • Board of Directors >
        • Board Meetings
        • Join the Board
      • Our Partners >
        • MAEAP
    • Our Staff >
      • Wendy Warren
      • Mike Meriwether
      • Heidi Shaffer
      • Melissa Zelenak
      • Invasive Species Coordinator Vacancy
      • Michelle Jacokes
      • Lauren Silver
  • Our Programs
    • Soil Erosion >
      • Healthy Lakes Landscaping
    • Forestry & Land >
      • Hiking Trails
    • Recycling
    • Regional Programs >
      • CAKE CISMA
      • MAEAP
      • PRODUCE SAFETY
  • 2021 Plat Book
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Interest Form
    • Email/Mail List
    • Employment
    • Publications
  • Events
    • 2020 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days
    • Electronics Recycling Collection
    • ACD VIRTUAL FARM FIELD DAY
  • Conservation Corner & Blog
  • Contact Us

Why do leaves change color?

10/21/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
We know that leaves change color in the fall and then fall off the trees.  We know that this is a sign that the tree is going to “sleep” because winter is coming.  But what is the actual science behind leaves changing color?  Read on to find out...
 
During the spring and summer, trees have green leaves because of the chlorophyll within the leaves’ cells.  Chlorophyll is a key player in photosynthesis because it traps light energy from the sun, which is then used to produce food for tree growth.   Leaves always have many other colored pigments within them (some of the pretty colors we see in the fall), but during the spring and summer, there is so much chlorophyll within the leaves that the green “masks” the other colors.
 
In the fall, trees prepare for winter.  Due to the lack of sunlight during the winter, it is not “energy efficient” for the trees to retain their leaves.  With little or no sunlight, they cannot produce food (or produce very little) through photosynthesis so they essentially have no use for their leaves.  In anticipation of winter, trees reabsorb nutrients, including chlorophyll, from the leaves.  The chlorophyll is broken down and the green color disappears, revealing the orange and yellow pigments.  A little more complicated science and the tree drops their leaves.  This helps the tree conserve water and energy.
 
Evergreen trees lose their needles too, just not all at once.  New needles grow every year, and needles only live so long (2-5 years).  So, older needles will often shed in the fall.  It is not as noticeable as deciduous trees however, because there are still likely many green needles remaining on the tree.
 
Our world and the science behind things is quite amazing, isn’t it?

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    The Antrim Conservation District Staff and Board Members

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Antrim Conservation District

Our Land.  Our Water.  Our County.  

Promoting the conservation, informed usage, and protection of Antrim County's natural resources since 1944.


Location

4820 Stover Rd.  Bellaire, MI 49615

Contact Us

Office Hours 8am-4pm

Phone: 231-533-8363

​Email: antrimcd@macd.org

    Subscribe to our email list:

Submit