What Causes Autumn Foliage?
In the Aura River Valley, you can also enjoy the vibrant colours of autumn, but do you know what causes the changing colours of the leaves? As temperatures drop and sunlight decreases in the fall, plants stop photosynthesizing and begin preparing for winter. Chlorophyll begins to break down, and plants store the resulting substances in their roots and trunks. As chlorophyll breaks down, the other pigments in the leaves become visible, creating the autumn colours. These pigments are present in the leaves even during summer, but the strong green chlorophyll covers them. Storing the degraded substances in the roots and trunk for the winter is a very important survival method for plants. Evergreen species such as spruce, pine, and juniper do not store chlorophyll in their trunks for the winter, so their green parts remain green all year round.