ITHACA, N.Y. -
A New York researcher is predicting
"lousy leaves" for fall foliage season.
Leaf peeping season is just getting
started, with high hopes after Tropical Storm Irene turned tourists away last
year.
But Cornell University Professor Karl
Niklas predicts what he is calling "a weak year for leaf watchers and for
those who depend on that seasonal tourism."
The professor of plant biology says
sustained high temperatures and dry conditions have stressed trees to a point
where many are already shedding their leaves and others are bearing browned
leaves.
