Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall - Essay Example

Summary and Analysis of “Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall?” Diane Ackerman’s essay “Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall” combines poetry, philosophy and popular science as it describes the cycle in which leaves undergo; and relates the falling of the leaves, as seasons transition, with human experiences. Ackerman elaborates on the underlying scientific process that influences the changing of the color of the leaves, why they fall in certain seasons, why they grow back in summer, and the reason behind its varying colors with respect to location.

She extends by detailing the scientific involvement of the sun that determines the amount of chlorophyll receives by the plants and trees, which contributes to its color variation. More interestingly, Ackerman explains why the colours of the leaves during autumn differ with respect to location; she attributes it to the differences in climate in different locations. I think that the author wants to describe how the cycle of the leaves and human experiences can be linked to each other. Leaves grow initially as green to yellow to brown and falls as it age; similarly, humans start from being young, to adult, to dotage and dies as they age.

Also, human differences are influenced by the individual environment they belong into. Leaves in Europe are brighter in colour than those in China or vice versa. This may imply that differences in environmental settings affect how humans physically and emotionally. Works Cited Ackerman, Diane. “Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall.” A Natural History of the Senses. New York: Random House, 1990. Print.