The study looked at how drought affects the growth and photosynthesis of Davidia involucrata seedlings. They found that drought caused the seedlings to lose water quickly, leading to reduced leaf area and damage to the photosystem. The chlorophyll content stayed the same, but the photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and other parameters decreased significantly under drought stress. This shows that drought stress can limit the photosynthesis and growth of Davidia involucrata seedlings, which are very sensitive to drought.