You've probably heard that leaves of deciduous trees change color in autumn because they lose their green chlorophyll molecules, allowing the underlying yellow and orange pigments to shine through. However, this doesn’t explain why the leaves change color in the first place.

LEARN MORE
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To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords:
Leaf senescence
Chlorophyll
Carotenoid
Anthocyanin

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REFERENCES
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Hoch, W. A., Singsaas, E. L., & McCown, B. H. (2003). Resorption protection. Anthocyanins facilitate nutrient recovery in autumn by shielding leaves from potentially damaging light levels. Plant Physiology, 133(3), 12961305.

Feild, T. S., Lee, D. W., & Holbrook, N. M. (2001). Why leaves turn red in autumn. The role of anthocyanins in senescing leaves of redosier dogwood. Plant physiology, 127(2), 566574.