GW is Slowly at Work?

[GIC]

Whether you believe in Global Warming or not there is definitely a pattern change in foliage.
Change is for certain, naturally or unnaturally.
Nothing last forever and never take Mother Nature or anything for granite.

I’m originally from the South and have been living in New England for 12 years. During those 12 years I have thoroughly enjoyed New England’s beautiful natural resources. The best time of the year for me is the autumn foliage and to be quite honest I’m fanatical about it. Over the recent years the foliage display has been erratic from state to state. To be exact since 1995 the 2003 foliage was the best on record for me. There has not been an autumn foliage display quite like it. Since 2003 it has been evident that New England foliage has been affected more frequently by dry weather, hot weather, high winds from hurricanes, tropical storms and some insect damage.
I guess when you care about something you pay attention to the details and notice changes.
For now I will take what ever Mother Nature has to offer, because not long from now she may not offer what we expect of her.
I’m off again this long weekend to photograph and enjoy the foliage as it is.
Make the best of it!

Just Google - Foliage Global Warming

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_re ... 1810122006

http://globalwarming.house.gov/impactzones/newengland

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/sc ... shire.html

[wentworth]

GIC, I agree and good post, although I'd say 1997 was a great year also, at least in the Killington area, and also all along 1-91(a beautiful Interstate) and Rt 2 thruout New Hampshire and 1-95 in Maine--but let's hope that this year's Fall will also be a memorable one, whether Global Warming is a factor or not

[ixl]

The color last year was nothing short of superb. I went across Vermont, NH and Maine and it was great. Obviously not every spot does well every year, but IMO this "global warming ruining fall foliage" business is a myth.

Obligatory image from last fall:

[Andy]

Whether its "good science" or a "myth" I don't know. I WOULD like to see more disciplined research, however. I'll bet somebody had gone back 100 years to research foliage. I'll also bet there have been "good years" and "bad years" dating back prior to when the activities which are said to contribute to "global warming" were significant enough to make an impact.

I am not saying there is "no" global warming, or that we should disregard our environment. Only that I often tire of the "evidence" posited to "prove" a particular position.

[wentworth]

The color last year was nothing short of superb. I went across Vermont, NH and Maine and it was great. Obviously not every spot does well every year, but IMO this "global warming ruining fall foliage" business is a myth.

Obligatory image from last fall:

ixl, I love your pictures, but I have to disagree, at least about last year--I don't know if GW had anything to do with it, maybe it didn't, but last year in the NEK the color was awful and New Hampshire was awful too--I think it may have been more due to the drought instead of GW tho--We were in NEK everywhere east of I-91, and almost everywhere the trees were rust-colored, dull yellow--In New Hampshire, the Kangamagus highway was also awful, as well as everywhere else we drove in Northern New Hampshire--The unusual late heat was also a factor--Conway was almost 90 degrees! but later in the season and further south,the Fall got much better, no question about it: your picture number 32 in your deskstopscenes.com, taken in Southern Vermont, is a stunner,showing a beautiful red tree-filled hillside in Deer Valley near Somerset Reservoir, the intense color there is what Vermont is famous for--I urge everyone reading this to check out that picture in his free link--also check out #37, picture # 40 and picture # 59--all wonderful--anyway, as GIC said in another post,this year is looking really promising-- with extensive summer rains, and colder than normal September temperatures, 2008 may be another 2003! weeeeeee let's hope!

[bvahjen]

There may be an effect of GW, but this year we have had plenty of rain (46 inches in Chester, VT) and a hard frost. It may break out a little later, but with any luck it will be a long season like last year. The Chester Street Fair was great this year!

[wentworth]

http://vermontfallfoliage.com/images07/102007-800.jpg here's some nice color from last year,taken Oct 20th in Ira

[ixl]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

wentworth: If there's anything I've noticed over my last few years traveling and shooting foliage in New England, it's that color can vary greatly from one area to the next. One year, maybe it was 2004, I went to northern VT and there was tons of great color, but around here in southern VT it was "blah". Also, there can be major local differences as well. I was in the Whites last year and some places looked awesome, yet a few miles away there was bad color. Add in the elevation differences and I think this accounts for most of what you've experienced.

Carol: Thanks. This was "naturally warmed" -- taken just as the sun was setting behind me (thus the pink clouds).

[GIC]

ixl Thank you for you opinion. Everyone is entitled to one and I respect yours.
Excellent picture! I remember when you first posted it.

By no means am I an expert on the GW issues, but would like to be kept abreast of our environmental conditions. I had hope long ago that my children would not be faced with this particular type of issue. Yes, there are may other issues as well.

No, the New England foliage is not going to be lost over night or over the next few years or could it? One never knows these days. I wish, I could have asked the Old Man in the Mountain of N.H, what changes had transpired before he fell. I’m sure he had seen many changes that we will never experience. Of course that is fable, this is reality and we must depend on the many years of past research to educate us what the future may bring. Not only for GW but also for other unforeseen issues that we may not even have identified.

GW presents changes that are subtle to out right disastrous.
Ask those in the Southern States that just went through the hurricanes, especially that of catastrophic hurricane IKE of what their opinion is now of GW. I bet they respond, “That was no myth”. GW is partially attributed to those hurricanes.
My cousin is a full believer to GW now. He lost his house and his town due to IKE.
God be with them all.

I travel Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. I shoot approximately seven to ten thousand pics of foliage each year. Oh yes I / we still get outstanding pictures. I have been to many places where foliage has existed and now are wiped from the face of the earth directly related to GW environmental conditions.
I travel extensively into Central and South America and notable changes are there as well.
Reputable information on the net can be hard to find sometime so I decided to visit the US Forest Service to get their take on climate change.
I found this sight that was linked by Harvard University Long Term Ecological Research Site, which I have visited in the past.
If no attention is paid to issues at hand then myth can become reality.

http://www.fs.fed.us/video/climate/

What is the point of this post and discussion? I’m concerned for the environment.
I’m a former Eagle Scout and an avid photographer of the foliage.

Well time to move on to shooting foliage. Good LUCK all in your adventures.

Take the four seasons and embrace them all, particularly fall. My favorite!
GIC