What is it about?
Heatwaves are becoming more intense and occurring more frequently, threatening plant survival around the world. We leveraged record-breaking summer temperatures to examine how a widespread tree species (the Fremont cottonwood) responds to extreme heat, and how this response is mediated by access to water.
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Why is it important?
Our results show that cottonwood survival during extreme heat is facilitated by leaf cooling achieved via the leaves releasing water. However, leaf cooling is completely disrupted when trees are faced with even a brief disruption in soil water availability. These results suggest that reliable access to water will likely play a crucial role in determining tree survival during the longer, more intense heatwaves of the near future.
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This page is a summary of: Intensive leaf cooling promotes tree survival during a record heatwave, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 2024, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2408583121.
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