The pigments (chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyanins) which, in various combinations, account for the colors produced during autumn.
What is needed to understand about how leaves operate, to understand what the function of color during the autumn might be.
What actually occurs in leaves during the autumn, to produce the color changes. Two examples, red oak and witch hazel, are highlighted.
The scientific explanations, involving physiology as well as interactions with animals, that have been proposed to account for the brilliant colors of the autumn.