I am currently taking a Nature Guide course.
During a walk today we saw the principle of leaf fall: a cork layer forms between branch and trunk, to prevent the tree from evaporating water through the leaves; the sap flows in both directions stop, and the leaves fall off.
However, grass remains green, so chlorophyll remains and photosynthesis continues, even during winter.
Why is this possible in grass and not in trees?
Answer
Best,
Deciduous trees do indeed shed their leaves to protect themselves from winter and its effects. That’s one way to limit winter damage, but not the only one.
Grass keeps its leaves, but even there photosynthesis virtually stops during the winter. The leaves of the grass contain dissolved substances that ensure that the cells do not freeze. In this way, the grass prevents damage by ice crystals in the leaves and it can still start growing back immediately in the spring, because there are still leaves that can benefit directly from the first sun.
regards
Answered by
dr. ir. Tim Wings
Plant breeding, Molecular Genetics, clover, progeny, quinoa, seed cultivation
Burg. van Gansberghelaan 96 box 1 9820 Merelbeke
http://www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be
.