BETA
Chapter 1
Rise of the ancient redwood family
Chapter 2
The physics of drinking from the sky
Chapter 3
Shields of armor and underground networks
Chapter 4
The secret world of the canopy
YOUR GOAL
Master of How redwoods became giants
Ch 2 · The physics of drinking from the sky
misslily Swipe water up the trunk to discover how redwoods defy gravity to grow so tall.
misslily Redwood Water Cohesion-Tension
Redwoods stretch to the sky, yeah-yeah! Water climbs through cohesion, pullin' up high!
misslily Gravity and water tension set a hard biological ceiling on how tall any tree can grow.
misslily Coast redwoods bypass their roots entirely by absorbing moisture directly from coastal fog.
Fun Fact
Fog drinking: A single mature coast redwood can absorb up to 150 gallons of water through its leaves on a foggy summer day.
Glossary
foliar uptake (noun)
The physiological process by which a plant absorbs water and nutrients directly through its leaves. Biologist Todd Dawson proved that this mechanism provides coast redwoods with crucial hydration from summer ocean fog.
The physiological process by which a plant absorbs water and nutrients directly through its leaves. Biologist Todd Dawson proved that this mechanism provides coast redwoods with crucial hydration from summer ocean fog.
Quiz
What compound in redwood cell walls provides the flexibility to withstand strong winds?
Quiz
What process pulls water up a redwood trunk as moisture evaporates from its leaves?
Quiz
What happens to a tree's water columns if gravity overcomes the water's cohesive forces?
Quiz
What physical force prevents water from reaching past the maximum biological height of a tree?
Quiz
What percentage of a coast redwood's summer water can come directly from coastal fog?
Quiz
How many gallons of water can a mature coast redwood transport through its trunk daily?