Stripped by lightning? This tree like it like it

If you are stuck out in the middle of lightning, the most common advice is to stay away from the trees, which can attract lightning. And although you are hit by lightning, it would certainly be very bad news for you, new research suggests that some trees can reap unexpected benefits from electricity.

A team of researchers revealed this Dipteryx Oleifera– A high tropical tree with a large crown and a native of Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama – not only tolerates lightning, but actually takes advantage of them and can even develop to attract lightning. Their work is described in detail in a study published on Wednesday at New Phytology.

Led by Evan Gora, Forest Ecologist at the Carrie Ecosystem Institute, the team is inspired to study D. Oleifera ‘S link to lightning after discovering a unique specimen in Panama in 2015. The tree survived, struck by lightning with a slight disability, despite the fact that the tocision killed a parasitic vine entangled in its branches, in addition to a dozen trees nearby.

“Seeing that there are trees that hit the lightning and are good, it was just to blow,” Gora says at the Carrie Carrie Ecosystem Institute statementS Seven years later, researchers discovered that Some trees are more resistant to lightning blows than others. Now the team claims to be the first to demonstrate that some species are hit may actually be helpful.

The forest and his colleagues watched the well -being of 93 trees in the Monument to the Nature of Baro Colorado in the Central Panama for two to six years after each of them was struck by lightning, monitoring the speed of their mortality, the condition of their trunks and crowns, the presence of vines or lianas and the percentage of adjustment.

Nine of the 93 trees were D. OleiferaAnd they all survived, hitting a lightning with a little damage. The electrocation reduced its parasitic vines by 78% and killed an average of 9.2 of their adjacent trees. In contrast, other types of trees were significantly worse – they lost 5.7 more leaves and 64% of them died within two years.

According to Forest: “It is better for Dipteryx Oleifera Tree to be hit than not. “

In addition, the team found that their observations were widely consistent in all D. Oleifera Trees. The species as a whole seems to have less vine infections, and in the last four decades their adjacent trees have been 48% more likely to die from other trees in the forest. Thanks to drone technology, researchers also noted that D. Oleifera The trees usually rise about 13 feet (four meters) above the nearby trees – potentially because all tall neighbors were removed from lightning.

Reducing the infection with a vine and tall neighbors gives D. Oleifera Trees more access to light and nutrients and as a result of this competitive advantage over other tree species. Researchers have calculated that D. OleiferaLightning tolerance makes them 14 times more freezing to produce offspring. Also nice, as according to the study, there may be up to 68% more likely to be hit by lightning than the middle tree. One of the nine D. Oleifera Observed by the researchers, it was affected by lightning twice for half a decade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwx_aeekr5w

It is difficult not to think that with all these benefits, trees can do it on purpose. In truth, forest and his colleagues suggest that D. Oleifera He may have developed to attract lightning, like lightning.

In general, the study gives an idea of ​​the role of tolerance to lightning in biodiversity. This is especially important in the context of climate change, which can lead to more lightning storms in certain regions, according to the statement. Moving forward, the researchers hope to better understand the mechanisms behind the resistance of the tree towards lightning.

History morals: don’t stand under trees during lightning – especially D. Oleifera!