But as we make our way north we are finally seeing more color in the trees. I'm happy about it because autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the bright colors, the smell in the air and the crisp, cold days. Its also an important time in the circle of life - a time when everything in nature is starting to settle down and prepare for a long winter's rest. One of my favorite things to study in nature is all of the phenomenal adaptations of plants and animals that help them to better survive in their habitats.
Leaves changing colors and falling off in autumn is one of the great adaptations of trees.
As a tree prepares to save its energy for winter a reduced amount of water and sap runs up the tree to nourish its leaves. In response to this lack of water and nourishment, the base of the leaves form a cork-like material, which prepares the leave to fall off. The bright colors of fall that we see are actually always there in the leaves, but don't show up until the chorophyll starts to die off and the leaves go through a chemical reaction. This is when we start to see those beautiful bright reds, yellows, oranges, and rusty browns. We've noticied along the way that trees in different habitats change color at different times - for example, the upland forests change colors a lot quicker than do the floodplain forest trees, such as silver maples.