The spectacular reds, oranges and golds that emerge on the trees at this time of year is a telltale sign that autumn has arrived - but this could be different in the future, according to the National Trust .
The charity has said that the UK will experience a “unique display” of autumnal beauty this year following the periods of hot, dry weather in the summer. This led to a phenomenon called a ‘false’ autumn, where the leaves turned brown earlier than expected due to trees not having enough water.
But the National Trust stipulated that the changes that we could see this year as a result could indicate that the beautiful colours of autumn to which we are all accustomed may become a thing of the past. They warned that the trees will be “heavily impacted” by the warming weather “unless urgent action is taken to tackle climate change ”.
READ MORE: Five stunning National Trust walks to take in the North East this autumn
Pamela Smith, Senior National Gardens and Parks Consultant at the National Trust, explained: “Due to the leaf drop that has already occurred in isolated areas this year’s autumn colour will be reduced due to the simple reason that many trees have already lost a lot of their leaves due to the hot summer. Trees suffering due to drought don’t have the resources to sustain their size, so often the impact is a smaller leaf canopy.
“However, in terms of the typical autumn cycle, it remains to be seen what the drought and high temperatures could mean for this year’s autumn colour, but we may see more golden browns and yellows as a result – and this year could be quite a unique display,” she added. “It’s likely that well established trees will be more resilient and that we will still see the full colour spectrum, but this year is a warning to us all of how what we’ve previously taken for granted, may be at risk.”
Luke Barley, Trees & Woodlands Adviser for the National Trust, added that they have seen more young trees die than normal this year due to a lack of rain. Head of Trees & Woodlands John Deakin said that we could continue to see the effects of the summer on our trees into next year.
“It’s very likely we won’t understand the full impact of this summer’s temperatures until next spring, when their ability to burst into new life may be hampered if they didn’t manage to store enough sugars in their roots over the summer period,” he explained. This year, the first indications of this year’s autumnal colours will be seen up north as the temperatures begin to drop.
The summer weather has also led to fruits and berries ripening earlier than normal - which could have an impact on wildlife due to there being less food available in the wild as we head into the colder months. The National Trust has urged people with outside space to do what they can to lend an extra helping hand to wildlife this autumn.
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