Nice job, Mother Nature! Volume 1 (7 photos)

SooToday.com has received the following note and photos shown from loyal reader Dan Pernokis:

************************* Hi David:

My wife Gina and I were out for a walk and came across some sidewalk art your readers may find of interest.

So here's a little arts/science submission she put together (people have been curious about this).

Other than size reduction (by Photoshop), the photos are totally unmodified.

Story is hers, photos are mine (but they can go uncredited).

- Dan

************************* Leaf sidewalk art

If you’re out for a walk these days, look carefully at the sidewalks.

There’s art all over our walkways.

The gorgeous autumn leaves have pretty much all fallen, and the colour show has closed for another year.

But something very special is happening.

Fallen maple and oak leaves have been leaving artful imprints everywhere.

What causes it?

Leaves fall and are pressed to the sidewalk by the rain.

The water causes a leaching of pigments – mainly tannins and anthocyanins – which creates brown or reddish prints on the concrete.

After the leaves dry and blow away, they leave the art behind.

Chlorophyll and carotenoids, the other leaf pigments, are not very soluble in water and so are less apt to contribute to the sidewalk art.

Gina Mohammed, PhD Plant physiologist www.pmtech.ca

*************************