This year, autumn leaves in Kanagawa are beautiful …

 

Megalopolis Tokyo area is in relatively temperate region, at about 36°N of latitude. Adding global warming, autumn and winter here are (it seems to me) getting milder. That would be a nice thing for humans withstanding cold weather. But, for the beauty of autumn forest, it is a drawback. Especially for Kanagawa Prefecture, we are in the south of border that is a boundary for deciduous Japanese beech to thrive in lower altitude. Yokohama is too warm for beech to be ubiquitous. (FYI, the border is the ridge way of Mt. Takao. Please see my posts on February 25, March 4 and 11 this year.) Fall temperatures here are often hesitating to go down in November and December. Accordingly, leaves are left at the whim of going up and down of warmth. They say leaves turn colors in autumn in order to cope with weakening photosynthesis due to shorter days but still strong ultraviolet rays. When photosynthesis becomes less, their body starts to reduce inside green chlorophyll, which makes remaining yellow carotenoid stand out. Then, the trees produce anthocyanin that can absorb ultraviolet rays and so ward off toxicity. Lots of anthocyanin renders such beautiful red. If the shortening of days is insufficient as in 36°N, and climate is milder for ordinary deciduous trees, their leaves may be confused “to be colored, or not to be colored.”

The autumn colors in lower part of Kanagawa are often of a mixed result … We Kanagawa Forest Instructors speculate so. Especially those senior instructors whose hometowns were in Hokkaido or Tohoku areas, this theory would sound very strong. “You see? The forests of my birthplace have far more beautiful autumn than in Kanagawa.” “Oh, mine in Iwate Prefecture as well.” “Hm. Kanagawa is too close to the Pacific Ocean and strong impacts of typhoons can remain. In contrast, not for my Hokkaido (with quiet ha-ha-ha from inner pride) …” “You know, typhoons can wind up salty vapor from sea, and let it down in raindrops.” “That’s damage the leaves. Salt.” “Oh, yes. Here is a good warm place, but too temperate for charming autumn leaves.” … Normally, conversation goes like this. Certainly, when we see yellowish but wearied tone of mountain slopes in front of us, it is hard to deny such claims …

That was our conversation around this time of the year. HOWEVER! With some sort of miracle, the 2022 autumn colors in Kanagawa is SPECTACULAR. We’re a bit taken aback. “Why?” “COP27 says the World is definitely warming …” “It means our maple trees are more in a disadvantaged.” “Yep, even so, Look!!!” Come to think of it, this year we have not had a strong typhoon landing on our prefecture. That would be why the yellows and reds in our forests are so vivid. And it’s still a beginning. Kanagawa’s autumn colors will be peaked around the end of November! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm …. Please come out and have a nice stroll in beautiful fall forests. Rain or shine, the atmosphere is so calming …

It’s early November around ASL1100m.
 Beautiful Japanese beeches …

Lower Tanzawa

I think they are Conocephalum toyotae, but not sure.
 Does moss turn colors in autumn?

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/