Why do the trees drop their leaves in the fall?
When winter approaches, our part of Earth receives less sunlight, and the air grows colder. When these changes happen, trees prepare for winter. Trees that drop their leaves seal the spots where the leaves are attached. Then fluids cannot flow in and out of the leaves, which change color and fall off.
Here's a good explanation.
http://www.highlightskids.com/science-questions/how-and-why-do-leaves-fall-trees
Harmonie -- please do not plagiarize! You should have credited the source of your quotation.
sorry Ms. Sue. i just googled it. It wont happen again, i promise.
help I have a test that I have really bad test scores on so my question is why do trees in temperate forest lose their leaves in the fall a to provide shelter for animals be to conserve energy see which is Ranchos to provide nutrients for the root system or be to protect the roots from heavy rainfall I don't know I guess was I guess correctly
The trees drop their leaves in the fall as a result of a process known as "leaf senescence" or "foliar abscission." This process is regulated by changes in the length of daylight and temperature. During autumn, the days become shorter, and the temperature drops, signaling to the trees that it is time to prepare for winter.
To explain how the trees know when to drop their leaves, we need to understand the role of a pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is responsible for the green color of leaves and is essential for photosynthesis, the process through which plants convert sunlight into energy. During the growing season, chlorophyll converts sunlight into energy, allowing the tree to grow and thrive.
However, as the days become shorter and colder, the tree begins to prepare for winter. It redirects energy from the leaves to other parts of the tree, such as the branches, trunk, and roots, in order to store nutrients and sugars for survival during the dormant period.
At the same time, the production of chlorophyll slows down and eventually stops. As the chlorophyll breaks down, other pigments such as carotenoids (which produce yellow, orange, and brown colors) become more visible. These pigments are present in the leaves throughout the year but are masked by the abundance of chlorophyll during the summer.
As the chlorophyll disappears, the leaves no longer have a green color, and the underlying pigments become more prominent, giving rise to the beautiful fall foliage. Eventually, the tree forms a layer of cells at the base of each leaf stem, called the abscission layer. This layer seals off the leaf from the tree, restricting the flow of nutrients and water. The weakened connection between the leaf and the tree causes the leaf to detach and fall to the ground.
In summary, trees drop their leaves in the fall as a result of the changing environmental cues such as temperature and daylight. These changes trigger a series of physiological processes that reduce chlorophyll production, reveal other pigments, and eventually lead to the formation of the abscission layer, resulting in leaf drop.