That stat about how much weight a mature oak tree moves in water each day blew my mind

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2 Comments

Well, "blew my mind" is a strong way to put it, but I get it. That really is a lot of water for a tree to be moving around every day. I guess it explains why walking under a big oak on a hot day feels like stepping into a different climate. Nature's basically running a giant, silent fountain right over our heads and we never even notice.

wyatta302d ago

Wait, have you ever actually stood under an old cottonwood tree in a dry summer? My buddy Marcus, he lives out in eastern Oregon, told me about this one time he was hiking and sat down under this massive old cottonwood to eat his lunch. He said the air felt cold and wet even though it was 95 degrees, and after like ten minutes he realized fine droplets were collecting on his arms and face. He thought it was some weird bug spray or something until he looked up and saw the leaves were literally sweating mist into the shaded area below.