The secret of the world’s largest trees for surviving the worst droughts

How does a tree more than 70 meters tall manage to transport water all the way to its leaves during a drought? Some of these forest giants have remarkable secrets that help them survive.

Some trees grow more than 70 meters tall and still manage to transport water from their roots all the way to the canopy.

Imagine a tree more than 70 meters tall, roughly the height of a 20-story building, made entirely of wood, leaves and roots. Some giant trees in tropical forests have survived for centuries, enduring storms, extreme heat and drought.

However, being that large comes with a major challenge: every day, they must transport water from the ground to leaves located dozens of meters above their roots. And when drought strikes, that task becomes even more difficult.

Water does not travel up the trunk as if there were a hidden pump among the roots. It moves through vessels called xylem. Think of it like drinking water through an extremely long straw. The greater the distance, the harder it becomes to keep the system working properly, especially when the soil dries out.

For years, scientists thought large trees were at a major disadvantage during droughts.

A study published in 2015 found that the largest trees tend to suffer more during droughts. In 65% of the cases analyzed, tall trees faced a greater risk of dying. The explanation was fairly straightforward: the taller the tree, the more difficult it is to transport water from the roots to the leaves.

When there is little water