The research revealed different levels of drought tolerance among species. Interestingly, all species showed greater resilience to heat waves than expected. During the drought simulation, while some species succumbed to prolonged water deprivation, Scots pine stood out with its remarkable resilience. Young pines survived without water for up to 36 weeks. This finding contradicts common expectations, as some of the more resilient species are accustomed to cooler, higher elevations rather than warmer, lower elevations. The researchers also simulated a typical heat wave that significantly increased temperatures for a week across all species. The order of seedling death remained consistent with the order in the drought experiment. Moreover, the time to death was only slightly accelerated. These results have prompted a reassessment of the impact of heat waves, emphasizing the underlying conditions of drought as the primary stressor for trees. (Eric Ralls, Earth.com Staff Writer)