Mostly, it is due to weather and the direction of sunlight (and due to pests, etc.). Also leaves at the top, those on the outside get more exposed to sunlight and the plant allocates these leaves more chlorophyll for synthesis (hence green). Comparatively, leaves on the inside do not get much sunlight and serve no purpose, so to say. So the plant/ tree sucks the chlorophyll back from these leaves. Now such leaves which do not take part in synthesis can expose the plant to too cold/ too hot weather due to their surfaces area. So the plant/tree sheds them. Of course too severe weather will impact all leaves so in winter etc trees are bare.
If interested, I highly recommend (not a pure science book) Hidden Life Of Trees https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate_Discove...
If interested in plants/ trees, I highly recommend (not a pure science book) Hidden Life Of Trees https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate_Discove...
My partner showed me the book The Hidden Life of Trees:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1771642483/
It suggests that trees may have some kind of hive intelligence in their roots and through the fungal networks they can communicate and share resources. It isn't something that I've investigated in a ton of detail but the ideas seem scientifically informed.
I'd recommend this book, it explains a few interactions between species of animals / insects / plants and shows how everything is more of less connected in ways we can't imagine
Do you know how far from the tree do these network travel? Do the other trees it 'communicates' with have to be right next to it or can they be some distance?
As someone who has a passing interest in mycology I find this as much interesting in how important fungi is to the world as are trees. It has many proponents who believe fungi doesn't get enough credit for fueling the world's ecology as plants and trees. Possibly due to mushrooms perception as being harmful to humans.
I just recently read a great book called The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben [1] that touches on the subject of a social network among trees via a fungal network known as the "Wood Wide Web" [2].
If interested, I highly recommend (not a pure science book) Hidden Life Of Trees https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate_Discove...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1771642483/
It suggests that trees may have some kind of hive intelligence in their roots and through the fungal networks they can communicate and share resources. It isn't something that I've investigated in a ton of detail but the ideas seem scientifically informed.
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate_Discove...
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate_Discove...
As someone who has a passing interest in mycology I find this as much interesting in how important fungi is to the world as are trees. It has many proponents who believe fungi doesn't get enough credit for fueling the world's ecology as plants and trees. Possibly due to mushrooms perception as being harmful to humans.
Thanks for the book recommendation (Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate-Discove...).
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate_Discove...
[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/30/world/europe/german-fores...