Science Behind Color Changes in Leaves

One of the most basic signs of autumn is the changing color of the trees. Leaves often turn from various shades of greens to shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. The reason for the changing of colors is slightly complicated, yet highly intriguing.



Before getting to leaves, we need to talk about light. Light is a form of energy evident in different wavelengths. White light, specifically, is a combination of all wavelengths. Wavelengths of light are either absorbed or reflected by pigments in plants; the type of wavelengths reflected or  absorbed by certain pigments determines the color of the plant.
 
When we see that plants are green, it is due to the green pigment in plants called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll absorbs most wavelengths of light excluding wavelengths of green light. That green light is reflected off the leaves, which is why we see the leaves as green.

However, during the autumnal months, there's less light that can be absorbed by leaves. Because of this, leaves produce less chlorophyll to the point where there is little to no chlorophyll left in the leaves. As a result, another pigment within plants called carotenoid takes over. In contrast to chlorophyll, carotenoid absorb less wavelengths or colors of light. Wavelengths of yellow, orange, and brown cannot be absorbed by carotenoids, so they are reflected. And you guessed it, the leaves appear as yellow, orange, or brown to our eyes. 

Although most all plants contain the pigments chlorophyll and carotenoid, not all of them contain anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is the pigment within some plants that absorbs most wavelengths of light besides red light. Red light is reflected off of leaves when anthocyanin is working prevalently during autumnal months, causing us to see the leaves as red.


(I referenced material learned in class for this article.)

Travel with Trees

When I was younger my sister moved out of the city and across the country so she could be with her boyfriend. They lived in Liverpool, Nova Scotia for a long time and then moved to Thunder Bay, Ontario. I was seven at the time and my sister, having had a really great inheritance was able to fly me out for the summer. While I was there, she never missed an opportunity to show me everything she could. 

So now, I want to share with you some of my favorite spots I had visited while in Thunder Bay.

Kakabeka Falls
So, in 2008 when I visited here, it was the first time I'd never seen a waterfall, being from Manitoba and all, and this was amazing to see. It's the second largest waterfall in Ontario (Niagara Fall probably being the largest?). 

I remember being greatly amazed with the history of it. Not so much the white history since really, how boring.

I read the story about the Ojibwe princess, Green Mantle. The legend said that the Ojibwe chief came to her and told her about the impending attacks from the Sioux, and asked her to stop them and save her people. So she did. She went and found the Sioux camp, pretending to be lost, she asked them to spare her life telling the Sioux people that she would lead them to her fathers camp. She lead them to and over the waterfall, leading them and herself to meet death, the ultimate sacrifice for her people. 

And legend says that you can still see her spirit in the mist of the falls. How amazing. 



Eagle Canyon 
Thank God I wasn't cursed with being afraid of heights because Eagle Canyon is home to Canada's longest suspension bridge. 600 feet across and 152 above the ground. I have a few friends that wouldn't make it two feet onto the bridge, let alone across it. It's seriously an amazing hiking spot. The trails are beautiful. I honestly felt like I was in something found in a book. ^{(There are some bonus pictures of my dorky seven year old self here with my sister and my uncle.)}




The Sleeping Giant
I think this was the first place we visited when I got to Thunder Bay, since it's the most accessible. It takes little imagination to see the giant laying there with his arms across his chest, resting in death.

The legend goes that the Ojibwe people who lived on an island near where the giant is today where so faithful to their gods that the Spirit of the Deep Sea Water, Nanabijou, rewarded them calling the chief of the tribe to the Thunder Temple and telling him where there was a hidden silver mine, but warned him that if he were to tell the White man about it that Nanabijou would turn to stone and the tribe would parish.

The chief gave his word and lead his people to the mine. Not long after the Sioux people found out,and jealous of the gleaming jewelry the Ojibwe people were able to make, they disguised one of their tribe members as a member of the Ojibwe. That member followed others to the mine and later in the night stole many pieces of the metal to take back to his chief as proof. Though, he never made it back since he ran into a few White traders where he traded a metal for food. The white men, intrigued, boozed him up and got him to tell them where he'd found the metal. 

When the white men went to get the metal. with the island in sight, a storm broke out over the island and the white men drown while the Ojibwe tribe perished. And near that tiny island, Nanabijou laying peacefully in death, turned to stone. 



Rushing River
I wasn't going to include this one, but when I started thinking about it, I probably had the most fun here out of anyone of the places. 

It's no located in or near Thunder Bay, but closer to Kenora, however, we still went. Near out camp ground there was a small section where you could go in the water because it was shallow, very shallow that the current couldn't catch you and sweep you away. but it wasn't just a body of water sitting there, no, the area to play in was a series of small waterfalls. Maybe onto a foot or two high at best but they were still super fun to play in. 

And besides that, during the time we were there, my sister and her boyfriend at the time had gotten into a big fight over something and he went for this long walk that I decided to tag along on. Me and him got along pretty well, so he was okay with it. We walked along the river and down weird trails. Say moose tracks that scared him half to death since... moose are angry monsters for no reason, but I didn't know that.

We came out of a trail that lead right by the water, but stepping stones (natural stepping stones, not put in by the park). The water wasn't deep but the current was fast and strong and there was one of the larger waterfalls nearby. Being seven years old and a scaredy cat I didn't go across, but I watched my sister boyfriend go right across and to this other waterfall. It was much less intense. The water coming down looked very calm and looked like it came from a small steam. It took him ten minutes or so but he climbed up to the top of it and when he came back he told me there there was a skeleton up there. 

To this day I don't know if that as a ploy to scare me of if he was serious. 



Thank you Quincunx for providing this lovely layout!