Every fall people look forward to the beautiful color change that the trees undergo. Not many people think about the how or why behind it though. Why does this magnificent transformation occur? As the nights grow longer in the fall the production of chlorophyll(what keeps the leaves green) decreases, eventually stopping, revealing the colors formed by the carotenoids(yellow) and anthocyanins(red). Chlorophyll production is dependent on amount of sunlight, hence the decrease as the nights grow longer, unlike the cartenoid production which is more constant and the anthocyanin which ddepends on sugar concentrations. As the amount of chlorophyll decreases and the amount of cartenoid remains the same the leaves gradually change from their green color to a wide variety of colors from yellow to a crimson all depending on the tree, location and weather.

The main trees in the picture above are sugar maples. In the fall they turn a yellow orange, or golden color. Though the sugar maples are the main focus of the picture there are other trees present including the willow oak and the yellow poplar, both of which also turn a nice shade of yellow orange. As the fall progresses and the leaves gradually transition to their new attire there will be plenty of updates and pictures to come.