Water Causes Tree Branches To Droop at Night According To Study

According to data from terrestrial laser scanning, trees shift their branches in a diurnal rhythm as if falling asleep.

Branches slide downward during the night, up to 20 centimeter depending on the tree type, due to changes in the water status of leaves and branches.

How do tree branches droop at night?

(Photo : STR/AFP via Getty Images)

According to a new study that used time series of terrestrial laser scanning data, changes in the water status of leaves and branches lead branches to shift lower at night, up to 20 centimeters depending on the tree type.

During the night, leaves and branches refill their water store, increasing their weight and causing them to droop.

Terrestrial laser scanning is a remote sensing technology that can provide a millimeter-accurate 3D depiction of the surroundings.

Minor changes to the system in the surroundings, such as branch movement, can be studied using repeated observations.

We can learn about how water travels inside trees by tracking the movement of tree branches, as per ScienceDaily.

Climate change limits water supply and increases drought stress, therefore understanding the transport of water in trees is critical for understanding changes in forest health, according to Samuli Junttila, Postdoctoral Researcher and primary author of the paper at the University of Eastern Finland.

The researchers discovered that changes in tree branch position paralleled changes in tree water status over a longer period in the laboratory.

These results have practical applications as well.

Laser scanning might, for example, be used to monitor plant water status in a greenhouse to automate watering regimens and conserve significant resources.

The research was carried out in partnership with the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute and the University of Helsinki at the University of Eastern Finland.

The research was carried out as part of the UNITE Flagship Programme, which was financed by the Academy of Finland.

Also Read: Can Trees 'Talk' to Humans? Experts Unlock Their Communication Secrets

How do trees use water?

Water covers around 71% of the Earth's surface, yet just 3% of the planet's 326 million cubic miles of water is appropriate for producing crops such as trees, as per Purdue University.

Water is often regarded as the single most limiting ecological component in tree growth and survival.

It is a necessary "nutrient" that must be supplied in sufficient quantities or plants would decrease and finally die.

Water is used or lost by trees in two ways. First, water is drawn from the earth by tree roots and drained via the pores or stomata on the surface of leaves.

Condensation is a physiological mechanism that reacts to soil and atmospheric conditions.

Water is required for practically every plant operation, including photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration.

Water is as crucial as, if not more important than, other nutrients since it is necessary to convert all of our other components into a form consumable by the plant.

Almost all critical elements are dissolved in water in ionic form, allowing them to flow to stems, branches, and leaves for energy.

Proper tree management aims to minimize or mitigate the effects of water loss. The water loss will go unnoticed if there is enough soil moisture since it will be restored organically.

Drought is typically caused by protracted dry periods without rain. Drought conditions are caused by extended periods without natural rainfall.