Trees lift water higher than 10 meters using the cohesion-tension mechanism
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 64/100
The vast majority of botanical and physiological evidence supports the cohesion-tension mechanism as the primary driver for long-distance water transport in trees, despite alternative hypotheses occasionally being proposed.
Evidence for · 3
Direct Measurement of Xylem Pressure in Leaves of Intact Maize Plants. A Test of the Cohesion-Tension Theory Taking Hydraulic Architecture into Consideration
1999 · cited by 121
Experimental measurements of xylem pressure are consistent with the cohesion-tension theory.
Evidence against · 1
A new theory of tree sap flow.
2025 · cited by 0
A minority paper proposes a novel alternative theory of sap flow, criticizing the cohesion-tension mechanism's reliance on capillary forces.
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More for · 2
Xylem water transport: is the available evidence consistent with the cohesion theory?
1994 · cited by 78
The cohesion theory has become widely accepted as explaining the mechanism of the ascent of sap, despite ongoing debates regarding absolute tension limits and measurement techniques.
Freezing of Conifer Xylem and the Cohesion‐Tension Theory
1969 · cited by 53
Conifer freezing studies demonstrate that the cohesion-tension theory successfully accounts for sap transport and bubble dissolution dynamics.