Just learned a mature oak can move over 100 gallons of water a day

I was reading an old forestry study from the University of Michigan. It said a single big oak tree can pull that much water from the soil and send it up to the leaves. I always knew they moved a lot, but that number is crazy to picture. It really makes you think about the stress on roots during a drought. Has anyone else seen data that made you rethink how much work a tree is actually doing?

3 comments

3 Comments

holly_craig2mo ago

Actually, that's transpiration, so the water mostly goes out through the leaves, not up to them to stay.

craig.brian2mo ago

So where does the water go then, @holly_craig?

scott.grace3d ago

Honestly though, I think people forget about the water that stays in the soil too. Like, not all of it gets sucked up by roots or evaporates away. Some of it just hangs out deep down and feeds the ground water table, which is how wells stay full. Tbh, it's not just about where the water goes above ground, but where it ends up below ground that matters a lot more than folks realize.