Climate change is making autumn leaves change colour earlier – here’s why

Dec 2, 2020

Autumnal scenes as trees show off their red, brown and orange leaves over a river.

The up side? Prolonged autumnal colours, and more time for us to kick through the leaves! Image: REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

Philip James

Professor, University of Salford

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As the rate of photosynthesis increased, leaves changed colour and fell earlier in the year. Image: Science Magazine

Get ready for this happening a little sooner in the future. Image: Greg Shield/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

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