Photofeature - Rhythms Of Nature

First published in Sanctuary Cub, Vol. 45 No. 5, May 2025

join the conversation

Photo Feature

Autumn Leaves
As days shorten and temperatures drop, autumn leaves begin to fall. These forests of oak, maple and walnut, with their associates, now undergo a marvellous transformation. Their green pigment (chlorophyll) breaks down, revealing underlying yellow (xanthophyll) and orange (carotene) pigments. In some species, such as the Himalayan maple Acer oblongum, locally known as chinar, and the mighty Himalayan oak Quercus leucotrichophora, leaves eventually turn red on account of the sugars and tannins trapped inside, which form anthocyanin. Photo:Bilal Nasir Zargar