In their theory, bright autumn coloration with pinks and yellows is costly to trees because pigments require energy to synthesize, but the investment may help them to reduce their parasite load.
Menurut teori mereka, warna cerah merah jambu dan kuning saat musim gugur berbiaya bagi pohon karena pigmen membutuhkan energi untuk disinteisis, tetapi investasi tersebut bisa membantu mereka mengurangi jumlah parasit.