Vectorized image: Change many paths to one path with color gradients?

[BaCbDc]

I vectorized an image and got a lot of paths.

I think there aren't color gradients inside the paths

but only one color per path and the green filling

becomes lighter from top to down:

Is there a simple possibility to convert the many paths to one path and

to convert the many colors to one color gradient for the sole new path?

[Doug A Roberts · Accepted solution]

i think this and your other topic are good examples of a situation where image tracing something causes more trouble than redrawing a very simple image from scratch.

but in this situation, i should think you can select the graduated green independently of the darker green. i would then use pathfinder > unite, and replace the resulting fill with a proper gradient. (make swatches from the top and bottom colours first).

[BaCbDc]

Thank you. Unite and replacing fill with a proper gradient has worked.