For decades, scientists believed that the world's tallest trees were naturally more vulnerable to drought because of the immense challenge of transporting water from their roots to leaves hundreds of feet above the ground. However, a new study has turned that assumption on its head, revealing that some of Southeast Asia's towering rainforest trees have evolved remarkably efficient internal systems to overcome this obstacle.
Published in the journal Science on 2 July, the research found that giant dipterocarp trees in Malaysia possess specialised hydraulic adaptations that allow them to move water more efficiently through their trunks. The discovery suggests that height alone may not make trees more susceptible to drought, potentially reshaping how scientists predict the effects of climate change on forests.
