Global Warming Might Push Back Fall Foliage Transformations

According to a report by Princeton University researchers in Global Ecology and Biogeography, climate change might affect when fall foliage appears in different parts of North America.

In the study, the researchers explained that trees need low daily temperatures and short daylight hours to churn out their famous autumnal shades.

Senior author David Medvigy, an assistant professor of geosciences and associated faculty member at the Princeton Environmental Institute, and first author Su-Jong Jeong discovered that these two factors – daily temperature and daylight hours – not only help predict fall foliage timing, but also influence specific tree species in different ways. 

"We're really interested in understanding how these systems will change as we experience global warming or climate change," Medvigy said in a university statement. "What these results are suggesting is that different locations will change in different ways, and that these differences are actually going to be quite interesting."

http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/global-warming-fall-leaves-20140922