Recent droughts have caused the tops of quite a few western redcedar trees to die around here. This tree is outside my house (and seems to be a favourite spot for a turkey vulture). Why do you think drought causes trees to die at the top rather than the bottom? (Pick the best answer.)

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To tackle this question, I’ll evaluate each option in turn and explain why it fits or does not fit the observed pattern of drought-induced die-off at the tops of trees.
Option 1: 'Because the tree tops are killed by large birds.' This is implausible as a general explanation for drought-induced death at the very top across many trees, since the cause is not consistent with drought physiology and binding evidence. While birds can affect trees locally, the pattern described is tied to water stress, not avian predation.
Option 2: 'Because the leaves at the top of the tree have a lower photosynthetic rate during drought conditions.' While photosynthesis can decline during drought, this option doesn’t directly explain why the top dies first. The death of tissues is more tightly linked to water transport and hydraulic failure than to a simple reduction in photosynthesis per se, and it’s not the photosynthetic rate alone that determines top-only die-off.
Option 3: 'Because the water potential is already very negative at the top of a tree even when there isn’t a drought, and so when it gets drier the drought stress is worst at the top.' This option matches fundamental plant physiology: water potential (and thus tension in the xylem) is highest (most negative) in the upper parts of tall trees due to gravity and path length, making the tops more susceptible to cavitation and hydraulic failure during drought. As soil dries, the gradient intensifies at the top, leading to preferential die-off there.
Option 4: 'Because the leaves at the top have fewer stomata, reducing their ability to regulate water loss effectively.' Generally, leaves at the top often have similar or even higher stomatal conductance to meet photosynthetic demand, and stomatal density varies by species but this explanation does not directly address why top tissues die first under drought conditions.
Option 5: 'Because the tree tops experience greater exposure to UV radiation, leading to cell damage during drought periods.' While UV exposure can contribute to stress in some contexts, it is not the primary driver explaining why drought would preferentially kill the tops over the lower portions; the hydraulic failure mechanism is more central to drought-induced top death.
In summary, the most coherent explanation among the choices rests on the hydraulic theory: the top of the tree experiences the most negative water potential and hence the greatest drought stress, making it the first region to suffer hydraulic failure and dieback. The other options either misattribute the cause (bird predation), mislink the mechanism (photosynthesis rate alone, stomatal differences), or rely on UV damage, which is not the key driver of drought-induced top mortality.

FRST_V 303 101-107 2025W1 Weekly quiz #3 - Lectures 6-7 - Section 103, 104

Recent droughts have caused the tops of quite a few western redcedar trees to die around here. This tree is outside my house (and seems to be a favourite spot for a turkey vulture). Why do you think drought causes trees to die at the top rather than the bottom? (Pick the best answer.)

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