Study: Heavy Rainfall Favors Grass Over Trees

Rain should be good for trees, scientists thought. But African savannas — rolling grasslands with heavy rainfalls and spells of drought — do not have many trees. Princeton University researchers have an explanation: the way grasses absorb and use water gives them a competitive edge over trees. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they point out grasses can quickly absorb water to support photosynthesis and rapid growth, but trees, with tougher...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - lundi 19 octobre 2015