Leaf Loss
As light intensity and temperature decline in the winter the amount of glucose needed for respiration to maintain the leaves and produce chlorophyll is less than the amount produced by photosynthesis. The leaf is also more likely to be damaged by gales and storms in the winter. Deciduous trees in temperate climates lose all their leaves in winter and remain dormant until the days lengthen and temperatures rise in spring.

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Key terms in this lesson
- Auxin
- A plant hormone, produced mainly at shoot and root tips, that stimulates cell elongation and controls tropisms and apical dominance.
- Chlorophyll
- The main photosynthetic pigment, which absorbs light energy, exciting electrons that are used in the light-dependent reactions.
More in Plant Responses
- Plant Hormones
- Seed Germination
- Apical Dominance
- Gibberellins: Synergy and Antagonism.
- Flowering and Day-Length
- Preventing Freezing
- Stomatal Control
- Chemical Defences
All 19 lessons in Plant Responses · All OCR A-level Biology topics