As the days grow shorter here in the Northern Hemisphere, one of the last gasps of fall is the rush of color in the surrounding woods. The vivid red-leafed trees are always my favorite, jumping out of the crowd like Halloween candy to a five year old. However, the red color may indicate that the tree is rooted in difficult soil. Emily M. Habinck, a former University of North Carolina graduate student, found that in places where the soil was relatively low in nitrogen and other essential elements, trees produced more red pigments known as anthocyanins. This finding supports a hypothesis by plant physiologist William Hoch of Montana State University, Bozeman, who argues that the incr… Keep reading.
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