Friday, October 9, 2026
Science

Aspens 'remember' past drought in their leaves, 3-year experiment finds

Drought is written into trees, appearing as narrow bands in their annual growth rings. But aspen may go farther, creating "functional memories" of previous dry years reflected in the chemistry of their leaves, according to new research by University of Utah biologists.

Aspens 'remember' past drought in their leaves, 3-year experiment finds
Image: Phys.org
Drought is written into trees, appearing as narrow bands in their annual growth rings. But aspen may go farther, creating "functional memories" of previous dry years reflected in the chemistry of their leaves, according to new research by University of Utah biologists.

Originally published at Phys.org

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