(ICN) EARTH IS CHANGING COLOUR

Earth is made up of a kaleidoscope of colors—from the lush greens of tropical forests to the glistening turquoise of coastal shores.

But over the past few decades, many of the hues that people have come to expect in nature have been thrown out of whack or changed altogether. In some cases, climate change may be to blame, a growing body of research shows.

Warming global temperatures can have rippling effects on ecosystems, altering nutrient levels, chemical composition or biological processes. Sometimes these changes manifest themselves in a visual way, a cue that scientists are using to track climate trends across the globe.

Leaf Peeping: Many people across the U.S. associate the crimson reds and vibrant yellows of changing leaves with the first signs of fall each year. However, in some regions, warming temperatures are disrupting this annual transformation.

Typically, as the days get colder and shorter during autumn, leaves are exposed to less sunlight. This slows down the production of chlorophyll, which helps plants create their own food through photosynthesis and gives them a natural green color. With less food fueling their sun-powered diet, that green is replaced with other primary colors.

But warmer fall nights may be delaying the start of this process, according to a recent analysis by the nonprofit Climate Central. For example, in Maine’s Acadia National Park, peak foliage season now occurs almost two weeks later than it did in the 1950s.

“What we thought we knew about fall foliage is really up in the air right now,” Aaron Bergdahl, a forest pathologist with the Maine Forest Service, told Maine Public Radio. “The seasons are a little bit different and our growing seasons are less predictable and generally have a little bit more stress than what we recognized 10, 20 years ago.” More of this article (Inside Climate News) - link - more like this (climate change) - link - more like this (Maine) - link