Hydraulic Lift: a Potentially Important Ecosystem Process

Hydraulic lift is the process by which some deep-rooted plants take in water from lower soil layers and exude that water into upper, drier soil layers. Hydraulic lift is beneficial to the plant transporting the water, and may be an important water source for neighboring plants. Recent evidence shows that hydraulically lifted water can promote greater plant growth, and could have important implications for net primary productivity, as well as ecosystem nutrient cycling and water balance.