Summary

For devout leaf peepers, timing is everything. A new study led by researchers from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment shows that leaf nutrient levels affect the onset of fall color. The findings, published in Nature Communications , could improve leaf drop forecasts and carbon cycle tracking. Starting roughly in September in the United States, deciduous trees—species that seasonally drop their leaves—stop making the green pigment chlorophyll, used in photosynthesis.

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