JoinFavorite Demonstration: A Vivid Demonstration of Fall Leaf Color Changes—Assessing the Environmental Factors that Affect Plant Metabolism
Fall is a time when the splendors of nature are unveiled through the transformation of leaf colors. Daylight, temperature, and nutritional variations are factors that initiate the hormonal changes leading to the alteration of colors that is induced by senescence. This activity was designed to introduce college students to experimental design. Instructors can integrate the exercise into lectures on plant physiology to show how environmental factors affect plant metaolism or it can be used for lessons in ecology and thermodynamics.