It’s Fall Y’all

It’s Finally Fall

For the Northern Hemisphere, the official start of fall is recognized on September 22nd. You may have noticed changes in temperature, an earlier set of the sun during the day, and a craving for pumpkin spice lattes. After the long days of summer, fall signifies winter’s approach, but what does that really mean?

What Causes Fall

Seasons occur based on the orbit of Earth around the Sun and the tilt of its axis. Summer’s hot days and long hours are caused by the axis pointing towards the sun. Winter’s cold temperatures and shorter days are initiated by the axis pointing away from the sun. Fall is  the transition between the axis pointing towards the sun and moving away from it. As a result, with less exposure to the sun, we notice the cooling of temperatures and shorter periods of daylight, signifying the season of Fall. 

What Fall Means for the Environment

Fall is famous for bright orange, red, and yellow colored leaves on deciduous trees. This is caused by a drop in temperature and less daylight. Plants absorb sunlight during the process of photosynthesis to help produce their green color, chlorophyll. With less sunlight, plants produce less chlorophyll, which results in the leaves fading from bright green into the fall colors you typically see. 

How Climate Change Impacts Fall

According to PBS, Fall has been delayed by 1.4 days per decade due to climate change. The duration of Fall color has begun to shorten, with an early onset of leaf drop. Additionally, with an increase in extreme weather events such as hurricanes, heavy rains, and severe forest fires, the health of forests has been declining. These events pose a threat to forests not only through direct destruction, but through drought, over-saturation of soil, and pollution of water, soil, and air. As a result, trees become unhealthy and leaves are more sparse and die more quickly than usual.

We All Love Fall!

We can help save the marvels of Fall. Here are a few tips on what you can do:

• Help prevent forest fires by following local guidelines from the Forest Service and Fire Department

• Keep trees healthy by monitoring moisture and nutrients in the soil -- water and fertilize as needed

• Plant more trees. Sustain and Able supports OneTreePlanted to grow more trees around the world. Join us in keeping forests healthy!