- [Mark] This is Mark Isselhardt,
maple specialist with the University of Vermont Extension,
and this is another Vermont Maple Minute.
Autumn colors and leaves of maple trees
is an annual phenomenon
that is highly prized for its beauty
and also economically important.
As day length shortens,
the tree stops making new green chlorophyll pigment,
while the chlorophyll already in the leaves breaks down.
Without the green to mask it,
the yellow and orange carotenoid pigments
become more visible.
In some species, like maples,
red anthocyanins pigments
are actively produced around this time.
Research results suggest that the production
of red pigments might help plants
by protecting leaves while they reabsorb nitrogen,
before the leaves fall.
There is no foolproof way to predict how
the fall foliage season will progress.
The intensity of color can depend on many factors,
but it is generally understood that cool weather creates
the conditions that produce more vibrant colors,
but that freezing temperatures
can also cause these colors to fade.
The weather on a given day can also impact
the perception of color,
as well as the mix of species present,
and the topography of a particular location.
This is Mark Isselhardt,
maple specialist with the University of Vermont Extension,
and this has been another Vermont Maple Minute.