Giant trees have tricks to work around drought

Tweaks to leaves and vessels allow trees to still get water to their crowns in dry times

A landscape of a tropical rainforest canopy with trees of various heights

In the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve in Malaysia, massive trees called dipterocarps dominate the rainforest. The tallest dipterocarps seen from this hilltop are more than 65 meters tall. Scientists are beginning to understand how giant trees like these adapt to drought conditions in an increasingly harsh climate.

Arne Scheire/University of Exeter

Daring tree climbers and researchers have challenged a major assumption in tree drought biology.