Autumn leaves are staying green longer

The phenomenon has been very visible over the last few years in the northern hemisphere – especially in the United Kingdom. No reason for immediate alarm.

As global temperatures rise, british trees are maintaining greens until later in autumn.

A 2015 comprehensive survey that analyzed observations from 1931 to 2010 reveals that warmer climates delay leaf fall in the northern hemisphereespecially in the United Kingdom, where deciduous trees remain leafy until the end of November or beginning of December.

Trees follow environmental cues—temperature e luz—to decide the moment of is left over of the leaves.

Enter numbness in stages, with the beginning of autumn causing chemical changes that slow down growth.

The production of hormones such as auxin and abscisic acid signal trees to reabsorb nutrients from the leaves, leading to the characteristic color change of autumn.

Normally, the leaves fall as the temperatures drop, but recent mild autumns have altered this cycle, lengthening the leaf season.

But it highlights that unpredictable weather patterns, like those of 2022, further illustrate this change.

That year, the record summer heat and drought led to premature browning of the leaves and accelerated the fruiting, with blackberries appearing in late June, much earlier than usual.

When a rain returned in the autumn, the Mild temperatures stimulated new growth in treesincluding unseasonal flowering in species such as magnolia, cherry and hawthorn, especially in southern England.

This phenomenon, in which trees bloom out of season, has not been recorded in certain species since 1944.

This “false spring” It ended abruptly in December when a cold front, dubbed the “Troll of Trondheim,” brought frigid temperatures and snow, causing serious damage to unsuspecting trees.

Many young plants on the Anglia Ruskin University campus in Writtle suffered, with up to 30% the species normally cold resistant to disappear or significantly affected.

Scientists warn that recurring patterns of hot summers and mild autumns could reformulate a landscape tree in the United Kingdom.

Summer droughts are expected to increase, potentially disrupting the growth cycles of deciduous trees and threatening their survival in less favorable environments.

Despite these changes, experts suggest that there is no immediate reason for alarm regarding the delay in leaf fall.

The trees are adapt to current conditions, preparing for winter at your own pace.