Lianas in tropical dry seasonal forests have a high hydraulic efficiency but not always a higher embolism resistance than lianas in rainforests.

The high hydraulic efficiency of lianas detected here probably favours their rapid growth across tropical forests, but differences in hydraulic safety highlight that some species are highly vulnerable and may rely on other mechanisms to cope with drought. Future research on the lethal dehydration threshold and the connection between hydraulic resistance strategies and liana abundance could offer further insights into tropical forest dynamics under climatic threats.