Comments on: How Trees Get Naked – Leaf Senescence And Why Leaves Fall Off A Tree http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html Gardening isn't a hobby, it is an obsession Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:45:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Captain Comma http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html/comment-page-1#comment-6896 Captain Comma Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:55:32 +0000 http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html#comment-6896 Fascinating article! When I was reading I kept asking myself "but is this a built-in cycle, or is it a side-effect of cyclical changes in the environment?" If you were to transplant a maple tree from Toronto, Canada to Aruba, or someplace where it's always summer, would it still turn colour and shed its leaves? It's an important philosophical question, too! Because it mirrors the difference between "human old age is an intrinsic part of human life" and "human old age occurs as a side-effect of predictable, but essentially arbitrary, changes in cells as they accumulate time". It's the difference between built-in senescence and senescence as a regular but again essentially arbitrary side-effect of cyclical environmental changes. Thanks for the post! Fascinating article!

When I was reading I kept asking myself “but is this a built-in cycle, or is it a side-effect of cyclical changes in the environment?” If you were to transplant a maple tree from Toronto, Canada to Aruba, or someplace where it’s always summer, would it still turn colour and shed its leaves?

It’s an important philosophical question, too! Because it mirrors the difference between “human old age is an intrinsic part of human life” and “human old age occurs as a side-effect of predictable, but essentially arbitrary, changes in cells as they accumulate time”. It’s the difference between built-in senescence and senescence as a regular but again essentially arbitrary side-effect of cyclical environmental changes.

Thanks for the post!

]]> By: ForestWanderer http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html/comment-page-1#comment-6873 ForestWanderer Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:20:15 +0000 http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html#comment-6873 Cool post! Those are some big words... lol! That is true that part of the tree dies But Oh! how they come back to life next spring! Cool post!

Those are some big words… lol!

That is true that part of the tree dies

But Oh! how they come back to life next spring!

]]> By: Ash http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html/comment-page-1#comment-5582 Ash Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:28:53 +0000 http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html#comment-5582 Thanks alot for this blog, it was really helpful! I'm doing a biology paper on why leaves change colour and this gave me a great base to work from:) Thanks alot for this blog, it was really helpful! I’m doing a biology paper on why leaves change colour and this gave me a great base to work from:)

]]> By: Fuchsia Girl http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html/comment-page-1#comment-1467 Fuchsia Girl Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:51:59 +0000 http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html#comment-1467 Hello there, found your blog by following the 'What flower are you?' link and I'm so glad I did. It's fascinating reading, very informative and you write with a lovely sense of humour. Now I know why the leaves in autumn blush like they do, I shall be able to astound my friends with the knowledge especially as this year the trees on Mull have been stunning. Thank you :-) Hello there, found your blog by following the ‘What flower are you?’ link and I’m so glad I did. It’s fascinating reading, very informative and you write with a lovely sense of humour.
Now I know why the leaves in autumn blush like they do, I shall be able to astound my friends with the knowledge especially as this year the trees on Mull have been stunning. Thank you :-)

]]> By: Sassy Gardener http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html/comment-page-1#comment-1466 Sassy Gardener Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:11:45 +0000 http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2007/11/how-trees-get-naked-leaf-senescence-and-why-leaves-fall-off-a-tree.html#comment-1466 Fascinating. I didn't know any of this. I do know, however, that I love maple trees and their amazing colors. :) Fascinating. I didn’t know any of this. I do know, however, that I love maple trees and their amazing colors. :)

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