Many people go east on expensive fall foliage trips. That region is well known for its spectacular trees in hues of yellow, orange, red, purple and brown. Just like the Atlantic Provinces, the broadleaf trees surrounding Powell Lake start to turn color in late September through October. Right in front of our cabin, Goat Island has a superb display of maples, dogwoods and alders. The swath of glorious color paints up the hillsides through stream carved gullies and across expose rocky slopes.
Have you ever wondered how this colourful display occurs? Chlorophyll, which is the pigment that gives leaves their green color, gets energy from sunlight to transform carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates (sugars and starch). Leaves also have yellow to orange pigments called carotenes and xanthophylls, but these colors are overpowered by chlorophyll most of the year. But when fall arrives, things change.
Fall days are noticeably shorter and trees start getting ready for winter. The presence of chlorophyll, and its green color, begins to diminish. This allows the yellow and orange colors to become more dominant. The bright reds and purples are created when glucose (sugars) are trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Bright sunny days and cool nights in autumn cause leaves to turn the glucose into a red to purple color. The brown color is made from wastes left behind in the leaves.
As fall moves towards winter, leaves begin to fall. Where the stem of the leaf is attached to the tree there is a special layer of cells. This layer gradually breaks down until it can no longer support the weight of the leaf. When storm winds blow, the leaves fall to the ground. Trees become dormant and live off the food they have stored over the summer. Their stems, twigs, and buds are equipped to survive extreme cold until the following spring.
Fallen leaves are not wasted, at least in nature or by the composting gardener. They decompose and replenish the soil with nutrients. They become part of the thick humus layer of the forest floor. There they absorb rainfall and hold moisture. They also become food for organisms that are important to the forest ecosystem.
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Want a different place to experience colourful fall foliage? Come to Powell River in Coastal BC. The people are friendly, the resorts are uncrowded and the restaurants are great. Last night we even saw some tourists come up the lake on a Desolation Sound Boat Tour. The opportunities are limitless. You won’t be sorry you chose to head north rather than east. -- Margy
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