The study looked at how water shortage affects the amount of water that European beech trees release into the air. By measuring tree sap flow and environmental factors in Slovakia, the researchers found that dry soil drastically reduces tree transpiration. In 2014, the trees released 59% of the maximum water they could, but in 2015, it dropped to 46%. The amount of water released by the trees was most influenced by sunlight, air temperature, and air humidity. The researchers also discovered that there is a delay between when the trees release water and when environmental factors affect this process, with this delay changing during dry conditions.