Lea Valley II
Sigma 50/1.4 A @f4.5, early morning, diffuse light; Nikon D600
Rubrum variety of exotic Cappadocian maple has crimson leaves during the spring and golden yellow in the autumn. It was introduced in 1838 and it is becoming naturalised in Britain. The last Ice age had particularly harsh impact on the flora, and compared to the regions like North America, the orography was much less favourable on Europe’s continent as well. This made rebounding of the surviving plant species difficult or a much slower process which seems to explain why Norway and sycamore maples, today naturalised in Britain’s woods, were not found in Britain (some uncertainty persists about native sycamore reaching Scotland). Today, Britain’s ecosystems are jungles of Europe, very productive owing to the mild, balanced climate of the isles together with high humidity.
Lea Valley marshland/lakes (NR)
