A new study from Los Alamos National Laboratory shows that New Mexico’s beloved piñon pine trees may be more flexible in how they handle extreme drought than scientists once thought. Generally, all plants have a built-in drought alarm system called a “stomatal closure point.” When soil gets too dry, the plant hits a tipping point where it closes up to avoid dehydration. While this can help the plant survive drought, it also pauses growth and energy production. … But, when given more water just before prolonged drought … piñon started to change, mimicking the behavior of an “anisohydric” plant – where the plant will let its water levels match the environment around it. … [T]he discovery could have broad implications for land managers, offering a tool to predict how ecosystems might respond to drought.