It’s leaf-peeping
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leaf-peeping:
mirar hojas
season! As the days get shorter, nature puts on a spectacular show in many parts of the United States, drawing thousands of admirers to the country’s national parks. The leaves on the trees begin to change colour, from green to red, orange and gold. All across the northern states, the forests put on a magnificent display
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put on a magnificent display:
exhibir
of fiery
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fiery:
feroces
hues
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hues:
tonalidades
.
Deciduous trees Not all trees change colour, as some are evergreen
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evergreen:
perennes
. These trees are always green, but lose their leaves at different times of the year. Deciduous
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deciduous:
caducifolios
trees lose their leaves in the fall to conserve energy. Common species in the US include oak
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oak:
robles
, birch
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birch:
abedules
and beech
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beech:
hayas
. These trees have broad leaves that put the different shades on display before they drop off and leave the trees bare
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bare:
desnudos
for winter. Fall colours become gradually visible through the green, as the colder weather slows down the production of chlorophyll.
Changing seasons Deciduous forests are one of the three biomes in the US, along with grasslands
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grasslands:
praderas
and deserts. Deciduous forest biomes primarily stretch up
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to stretch up:
extenderse
the East Coast, from Florida to Maine, but also spread across the Midwest and into parts of Texas. Temperature variations and moderate rainfall make them rich in biodiversity. Animal life is another reason to visit these forests in the fall: the forests attract a lot of birdlife, as well as deer
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deer:
ciervos
, raccoons
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raccoons:
mapaches
, opossums
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opossums:
zarigüeyas
, porcupines
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porcupines:
puercoespines
and red foxes — all have adapted to survive the four distinct seasons.
