Fall Leaves

November 06, 2004

Fallleaves

Provided and copyright by: Steve Kluge, Fox Lane High School
Summary authors & editors: Jim Foster; Steve Kluge

The above photo of brightly colored maple leaves was taken on October 2, 2004 from North Salem, New York. Captured by their bright contrast with the still green lawn, I picked these leaves up from my yard and quickly arranged them for this picture. The change in coloration of deciduous leaves during the autumn is one of the most colorful events in nature. In places such as eastern Canada, New York State and New England, the fall colors can be particularly vibrant and are usually reliable year-after-year. The maples, especially sugar maples, produce perhaps the most arresting colors, often displaying green, yellow, orange, and red on a single leaf. As the green chlorophyll pigments begin to break down, the carotene and xanthrophyll pigments (oranges and reds) are finally able to proudly show their colors.

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