Page 10 - November 2018
P. 10

conserve energy and hunker down for
                                            the colder air temperatures of the
                                            upcoming winter. When the trees do
                                            get the signal, the chlorophyll begins
                                            to drain from the leaves, leaving
         Dear EarthTalk: Do environmental   behind carotenoids (in orange and
        factors influence fall foliage colors? –  yellow leaves) or anthocyanins (in red
        Bess Walker, Clinton, CT            leaves) until the they fall to the
                                            ground.
         An uptick in the intensity of
        hurricanes, prolonged periods of drought  But the unpredictability of a fast-
        precipitating wildfires, flooded out  changing climate has some species of
        coastal regions, melting ice caps—most  trees confused about when to drop
        of us can agree that man-made climate  their leaves as warmer temperatures
        change is at least a contributing factor for  linger longer into the fall. Some trees
        these modern-day environmental
        maladies
        that seem to          Fall Foliage Northern California
        be
        compounding
        on top of
        one another
        in recent
        years. But
        another
        (less serious
        albeit still
        troubling)
        effect of our
        fossil fuel
        profligacy
        might just
        be
        compromised
        fall foliage displays.              are simply producing fewer leaves as a
                                            result, while others are thrown out of
         The deciduous trees that drop their  whack as to when to drop their leaves.
        leaves in the fall rely on cues from the
        surrounding environment to signal when  A 2016 study by Chinese researchers
        to stop producing chlorophyll (which  and published in the peer-reviewed
        turns the leaves green) in order to  scientific journal Global Change
                                                Biology found trees changing
                LIVING
                LIVING                          color (“phenology”) later than in
                LIVING
                LIVING
                LIVING
                                                recorded history across 70 percent
                                                of the study area (the Northern
              TRUSUSTTSS                        Hemisphere), presumably due to
              TR
               TRUSUSTTSS
              TR
               TRUSTS
                                                warmer air temperatures pushing
                                                the process back.
                                                  Also, drought before and/or
           • A Free Consultation                during the fall can drastically
           • A Living Trust - Single or Married  reduce the foliage show, given
           • Pour-Over Will(s)                  trees lack of resources to begin
           • Power(s) of Attorney For:          with. Researchers have found that                                     One way you can guarantee some kind of
                                                during drought years, trees’ leaves
             Health Care, Asset Management      tend to turn color early and peter  the stars of New England’s fall foliage  fall color display in your yard is to plant a
           • All Transfer Documents to Trust    out sooner, if they don’t skip the  show—such as sugar maples, yellow  variety of native plants and trees known to
           • Notarization Fees Included         color show altogether and go     birches and others—are expected to  turn bright colors in the fall. If there is
                                                straight to brown. Granted       shift their habitat north within the next  enough diversity among them, you’re sure to
              Free Family Information Packet    droughts come and go and cannot  few decades. Indeed, biologists warn  get some kind of show every year, even if
                                                be pinned directly on global     that foliage fans might have to head  every plant isn’t “turned on.”
               NO EXTRA CHARGE                  warming, no doubt climate change  north of the U.S./Canada border to see
            FOR IN-HOME SERVICES                is increasing their prevalence and  these colorful denizens of the    CONTACTS: “Delayed autumn phenology
                                                intensity.                       autumnal forest by 2100. Meanwhile,  in the Northern Hemisphere is related to
             SIRKIN & SIRKIN                      And at a more macro level, the  other iconic foliage species—such as  change in both climate and spring
                                                                                 ashes, elms and oaks—are facing new
           ATTORNEYS AT LAW                     overall year-by-year warming     threats from warming-induced insect  phenology,”
                                                trend is forcing many species
                                                                                                                       EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy
              800-300-9977                      north in search of the right     outbreaks, with various troops of   Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3
                                                                                 beetles and borers moving into new
                                                temperature conditions for
                                                optimal growth. To wit, some of  habitat with global warming clearing  nonprofit EarthTalk. Send questions to:
                                                                                 the way for them.                   question@earthtalk.org.
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