How do conifers survive droughts?

Last updated: 2 Jan, 2020

As the world warms, a new study is helping scientists understand how cone-bearing trees like pines and junipers may respond to drought.

The research addresses a classic question in the field: When conditions are dry for long periods of time, do trees survive by growing new roots to tap water sources, or by relying on established roots that already go deep?

Continue reading on the New Phyt blog.

Read the paper: Mackay et al. (2020) Conifers depend on established roots during drought: results from a coupled model of carbon allocation and hydraulics. New Phytologist 225:2, pp 679-692. doi: 10.1111/nph.16043