Autumn leaf color

Foliage is a term in botany and is the sum of the leaf organs of deciduous trees and shrubs.

Laubblatt

Leaves are characterized by a relative to the sheet thickness large leaf area ( leaf blade ), and by a Netzaderung. (In contrast, the plant are the needles of conifers leaves with Paralleladerung and a small leaf area. Refer also to page ( ). )

Leaves as animal feed

Foliage can both fresh ( green fodder ) and dried ( roughage ) in sheep and goats are fed. Foliage is rich in minerals. If care is taken when drying that the foliage remains green, then it is as good a feed as hay for sheep. The foliage was either cut off the branches ( schneiteln ) and both fed, or the branches remain on the tree and the leaves were stripped and fed only this. The Schneitelwirtschaft served cultivation, Hege and use of fodder trees. Common forage trees were ash and elm. In the late 19th century, there were still 850,000 ha in Estonia forest meadows with Schneitelwirtschaft.

In the aquarium foliage as food for shrimps ( Caridea ) will be used.

Leaf fall

In seasons with low water supply many deciduous trees shed their leaves to reduce water loss through evaporation over the leaf surface. This is in the temperate climates in winter, the case in the Mediterranean climate in the summer. If increasingly cools in the autumn nights the ground, take roots on less and less water. Near the freezing point, the water uptake is finally all set. As the leaves but further evaporate water, the tree would eventually dry. Through the dropping of the leaves, the evaporation is very limited. Leaves, which, due to their construction of a low evaporation are also in the dry season, not dropped, (example: laurel tree).

Since the needle leaves already are an adaptation to dry habitats, they are not thrown in the dry season usually. The larch, however, loses its needles in the fall, as their protection against evaporation is not sufficient. The chemical processes in the shedding of plant parts treated the article abscission, see also senescence in plants. Between leaf and tree, a layer, called the cork corked. This allows the blade no longer be supplied and drops out. For collecting leaves as tools such as rakes and leaf blowers can be used. For legal issues during leaf fall see also: Hardwood pension.

Chemical- biological causes for the coloring of the leaves

In autumn, the deciduous trees are derived with decreasing day length before the leaves fall, the active change of color of the leaves one by breaking down the proteins and intermediate storage of valuable nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate in storage tissues until the next growing season. A recycling of Plant Pigments, however, does not occur. The green chlorophyll is converted to colorless forms and accumulated in the vacuoles of cells, so that the chlorophyll -containing proteins of photosynthesis can be reduced. There are so clear view of the remaining yellowish- red carotenoids. The logistics of material displacement is in the leaf often easily recognizable: Peripheral areas lose their green first, along the leaf veins, it lasts longer.

In many species also occurs on a strong red color. For the anthocyanin dye is primarily responsible, which is newly synthesized energy. There are additionally produced carotenoids. The purpose for this is unclear but may serve the good coloration to deter insects who want to lay their eggs on these plants, or as a protective reaction of the still active chloroplasts from too much radiation. It is not clear why North American deciduous trees often produce a stronger red color than their European relatives.

Foliage layer

In the layer of leaves many soil organisms such as earthworms, woodlice, mites, springtails and microorganisms live. They decompose the leaf litter to humus.

Gallery

Red beech leaves on the ground, nature reserve Rodenbeker Quellental

Maple leaf with incipient recoloring

Maple leaf in yellow Hebstfarbe

Yellow leaves

Vine in autumn P. quinquefolia

Frozen leaves in winter ( here: Oak Leaf )

The last day in the "Golden October " ( October 31) at Marienburg Castle.