Anything that you see around you is there because of evolutionary adaptation to survive. Nature will devise solutions based on the environment. Perhaps choosing a non-green type of leaf helps to attract a certain pollinator, or deter a predator. For example, red and yellow are prominent colors favored by hummingbirds: as a result, a lot of the food sources that they like will be of that color, and will use hummingbirds to disperse pollen. Nature throws out mutations that go on to become adaptations to the environment, so some plants will favor different colored leaves because sometime in the past that environment favored that adaptation.
Green leaves absorb red and blue light. Red light is the highest energy light so provides the most nutrients. They reflect green light, allowing it to reach the forest floor.
Thus, some bottom dwelling plants have evolved to fill this niche and absorb green light (appearing red leaves).
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Anything that you see around you is there because of evolutionary adaptation to survive. Nature will devise solutions based on the environment. Perhaps choosing a non-green type of leaf helps to attract a certain pollinator, or deter a predator. For example, red and yellow are prominent colors favored by hummingbirds: as a result, a lot of the food sources that they like will be of that color, and will use hummingbirds to disperse pollen. Nature throws out mutations that go on to become adaptations to the environment, so some plants will favor different colored leaves because sometime in the past that environment favored that adaptation.
Green leaves absorb red and blue light. Red light is the highest energy light so provides the most nutrients. They reflect green light, allowing it to reach the forest floor.
Thus, some bottom dwelling plants have evolved to fill this niche and absorb green light (appearing red leaves).