Plant Design Online
Nutrient translocation
As fall progresses and the light dims, deciduous plants prepare to lose their leaves. But the leaves aren't dropped without prior preparation. Chlorophyll, the pigment of photosynthesis, is an expensive molecule for the plant to produce. If the leaf detached while it was still full of chlorophyll the plant would be losing precious, hard-to-obtain elements like nitrogen and magnesium. So in fall, the chlorophyll breaks down and its component parts are translocated (moved) down toward the roots. We can see evidence of that here, where the main veins and basal parts of the leaves are still green.
Translocation is an efficient way of conserving resources in the plant. How can we design our built environments to conserve resources in simple, systematic ways?
For more scientific literature on translocation see:
Hoch, W. A., E. L. Zeldin, and B. H. McCown. 2001. Physiological significance of anthocyanins during autumnal leaf senescence. Tree Physiology 21: 1-8.
Nutrient translocation
As fall progresses and the light dims, deciduous plants prepare to lose their leaves. But the leaves aren't dropped without prior preparation. Chlorophyll, the pigment of photosynthesis, is an expensive molecule for the plant to produce. If the leaf detached while it was still full of chlorophyll the plant would be losing precious, hard-to-obtain elements like nitrogen and magnesium. So in fall, the chlorophyll breaks down and its component parts are translocated (moved) down toward the roots. We can see evidence of that here, where the main veins and basal parts of the leaves are still green.
Translocation is an efficient way of conserving resources in the plant. How can we design our built environments to conserve resources in simple, systematic ways?
For more scientific literature on translocation see:
Hoch, W. A., E. L. Zeldin, and B. H. McCown. 2001. Physiological significance of anthocyanins during autumnal leaf senescence. Tree Physiology 21: 1-8.