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You might have seen pictures of leaves in cold countries turning yellow and red before falling. This usually marks the beginning of autumn. Known as leaf senescence, this process prepares the trees for the coming winter.
As a result of global warming, European trees were found to start this senescence about two weeks earlier. In a study published last month in the journal
Science, researchers have now demonstrated that trees have a self-regulating mechanism that limits the photosynthesis period or the productive period. This increased photosynthesis in spring and summer could be leading to earlier senescence.