試すGOLD- Free

TRUE COLOURS

BBC Wildlife|October 2023
Summer may have gone but the trees are about to dazzle with an uplifting display
- Mike Dilger
TRUE COLOURS

OF ALL BRITAIN'S WILDLIFE spectacles, surely the hardest to miss is the fanfare of autumn colour marking both the end of summer and the long descent to winter. Providing the most fabulous fillip on any woodland walk, the precise reasons why so many of our trees undergo such a radical transformation at this time of year are still shrouded in mystery.

The woody parts of Britain's deciduous trees are more than able to survive the winter. But with light levels becoming too low to enable photosynthesis and trees needing to conserve water when the ground may be frozen, the leaves suddenly become an accessory that trees are simply unable to keep.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use the sun's rays to power the conversion of carbon dioxide and water  into sugars. This reaction occurs due to the presence of the pigment chlorophyll, quite possibly the world's most important compound. Chlorophyll absorbs the red and blue parts of the spectrum while reflecting green, which explains why green is the dominant colour from April to October.

Although chlorophyll is able to perform the magic trick of harnessing the sun's energy, its unstable nature means it is easily broken down, so in order to maintain a constant supply of sugars through the spring and summer months, the trees' production line of chlorophyll must be running 24 hours a day.

この記事は BBC Wildlife の October 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は BBC Wildlife の October 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

BBC WILDLIFEのその他の記事すべて表示
JAWS 50 THE LEGACY
BBC Wildlife

JAWS 50 THE LEGACY

Half a century after a great white shark terrified cinemagoers, we hunt down the lasting impacts of Spielberg's blockbuster

time-read
8 分  |
June 2025
PRIMAL SCREAM
BBC Wildlife

PRIMAL SCREAM

A wildly unusual bird call shatters the peace of a tropical dawn

time-read
3 分  |
June 2025
Find more birds more of the time with multi-spectrum binoculars from HIKMICRO
BBC Wildlife

Find more birds more of the time with multi-spectrum binoculars from HIKMICRO

Find more birds more of the time with multi-spectrum binoculars from HIKMICRO

time-read
2 分  |
June 2025
Losing touch with reality
BBC Wildlife

Losing touch with reality

As AI becomes increasingly powerful, what does it mean for the wildlife images we see?

time-read
5 分  |
June 2025
Bongos have come home
BBC Wildlife

Bongos have come home

The secretive antelope is hoping for better times in Kenya

time-read
1 min  |
June 2025
Do animals get stressed?
BBC Wildlife

Do animals get stressed?

We often think of stress as a bad thing, but it has evolved to protect us. When we find ourselves in life-threatening situations, our bodies prepare to fight or run.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2025
Secrets of the Penguins
BBC Wildlife

Secrets of the Penguins

New series for National Geographic offers unprecedented insight

time-read
1 min  |
June 2025
How I learned to speak wolf
BBC Wildlife

How I learned to speak wolf

Deep in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, George Bumann develops a sense of what wolves' howls can mean

time-read
7 分  |
June 2025
Which animal has the longest tail?
BBC Wildlife

Which animal has the longest tail?

STRICTLY SPEAKING, THE TAIL-LIKE structures found in everything from scorpions to mayflies are not true tails. Only vertebrates – animals with a spine – are genuine tail-owners. And among vertebrates, tails are really common.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2025
Lesser goldfinches are moving north
BBC Wildlife

Lesser goldfinches are moving north

Warmer temperatures are leading these irrepressible golden-hued birds to expand their range in the USA

time-read
1 min  |
June 2025

当サイトではサービスの提供および改善のためにクッキーを使用しています。当サイトを使用することにより、クッキーに同意したことになります。 Learn more