Autumn Leaves

*** Without ample water there would be no AUTUMN LEAVES ***

Autumn Leaves

“The falling leaves drift by the window. The autumn leaves of red and gold….” Some of you will remember the old classic song by Johnny Mercer “Autumn Leaves”. Its that time of year again when the leaves in many parts of the country begin to take on color, the nights are cooler and the pumpkins adorn the porches of many homes.

Have you ever thought to yourself “Why do the leaves change color?”

The US Forest Service has put together a nice web site explaining just that at: “Forest Service Leaves”.

Or ever wondered “Does precipitation play a role in leaf color?”

“The amount and brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season are related to weather conditions that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling,” says University of Kentucky agricultural meteorologist Tom Priddy. “Temperature and moisture are the main influences. The countless combinations of these two highly variable factors assure that no two autumns can be exactly alike.”

And if you are just trying to find out where the leaves are turning during a certain week or in a certain place in the country, the Foliage Report Network: “Foliage Network”keeps track of leaf colors in the eastern half of the country and the US Forest Service keeps you advised on fall colors throughout the US at: “Fall Colors 2011”.

More info the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events that are influenced by environmental changes, especially seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation driven by weather and climate visit the National Phenology Network.