When I was little kid growing up on Long Island, my backyard abutted a small forest.  It was beautiful in the summer, except for the bee hives and their swarming bees- and for the invariable forest fire (darn those underage kids smoking cigarettes and dropping them to start those fires).

Then, I moved to Massachusetts.  Then, Michigan.   That’s where I began to notice the beauty of trees as they changed colors. But, that color changing season was pretty short.

Once I got to Charlottesville (VA), contiguous to the Blue Ridge Mountains and forests galore (including the George Washington National), I reveled in the autumnal changes.   I would drive the Skyline Drive, stopping to kvell at the views of the trees, the mountains, the sunsets, and the occasional sunrise.  Towing along my two girls.

Even when I moved further north to Alexandria, I still managed to get at least two trips along Skyline Drive, dozens along the George Washington Parkway, just to take in those wonderful hues.  Sometimes with 5 kids in tow, until they grew up (and out), down to one- and then none. (Of course, my trips to see the trees have stopped over the past 12 months, since I can’t drive.)

And, now, I’m finding out (which means you are about to) that we are going to be losing this glorious season, our autumnal hues.

First, some data.  Or is that the lack thereof?  It turns out, despite all our “eyes in the sky”, we haven’t been tracking our trees.  Our data only goes back to the dawn of the 21^st century.  So, discerning long term trends?  Yeah, right.

Which is why studies like the Second Century Stewardship Foundation are relying on obtaining photos from the public.  (As a matter of fact, if you have pictures of the fall foliage at the Acadia National Park, they want you to send them in!)   With such assistance, the team is able to back their data up to the 1950s.

And, the answer is…

Peak fall foliage in New England is occurring a full week later than it did in the 1950s.  It’s been arriving one day later every single decade. Which shortens the season during which we can enjoy nature’s fashion show.

It’s not just like that in New England.  All of our deciduous trees are having delayed color changes.  Some regions yield more pronounced, some less, but all are changing.

It’s the warmer temperatures we experience due to climate change.  (These same warmer temperatures is why hurricanes are more virulent- they feed off the warmer water temperatures.)

Daytime photosynthesis creates sugars.  A cooler night traps those sugars in the leaf- which is what allows the pigments (for example, anthocyanins for the reds) to form, with which we delight in seeing.

When the days are warmer or overcast, photosynthetic reactions are diminished.  Which means there are fewer sugars to convert to pigments.  (The warmer temperatures also degrade the pigments, so while the peak is delayed, both the color intensity is lessened and the season is shortened in duration.)

Each tree has its own fall hue.  Sugar maples- brilliant orange.  Beech and hickory sport yellow for us.  Dogwoods are majestic in their reddish purple.  While the oak leaves simply turn brown before they cascade to the ground.

As the trees sport less red pigment, we will see their other colors- more yellow and orange instead of those majestic reds.   And, trees will slowly migrate.  (No, they won’t walk up and move- it’s the seeds that travel the winds.)  Southern species that delight in the warmer weather will move further north.  (The US Forest Service predicts that yellow poplar trees will significantly expand northward over the course of this century.)

So, go out. Now.  Enjoy our fall foliage. And take pictures- lots of them- to share with your children and their children.  To let them know what once was.

 

 

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