Mathias Krumbholz / wikimedia
The tonka fava tree, which is common in tropical forests in Panama, has high internal conductivity that allows it not only to survive when it is hit by lightning, but also prospering and producing more seeds.
A new published in New Phytologist found that a notable tropical tree that not only survives lightning, but it can even thrive.
The research reveals that Tonka Fava (Dipteryx oleifera), which is found in Panama’s tropical forests, seems to benefit from the powerful gusts of lightning that usually devastate tropical forests. Although lightning are one of the main large trees killers in these ecosystems, Tonka Fava shows a surprising resistance – and Until a reproductive advantage – After being hit.
“Dipteryx Oleifera did not consistently have damage,” explains lead author Evan Gora, a forest ecologist at the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies. “We started doing this work for 10 years and we realized how deadly the rays are-especially for large trees. But this species It was an exception”.
Gora and their team used a network of electric field sensors, cameras and radio antennas to Monitor about 100 lightning In the Natural Monument Barro Colorado, in Panama. Then they combined this data with long -term forest installments records and drone images to assess the way trees reacted to lightning over time, reports the.
What they found was extraordinary: while the surrounding vegetation often suffered fatal damage, Tonka bean trees remained virtually unharmed. Each lightning killed more than two metric tons of nearby biomass and eliminated up to 80% of parasites lianas They clung to the hit tree pantry, paving the way for the flourishing of the tonka bean.
These discoveries suggest that the unique physical properties of the tree – possibly its high internal conductivity -allow you to safely channel lightning, such as an isolated wire. And with each impact, the tree gains a competitive advantage, eliminating harmful rivals and vineyards. Researchers estimate that this leads to a impressive increase of 14 times in the production of seeds throughout life.
“The danger of living alongside Dipteryx Oleifera is quantifiable,” said Gora. “Other nearby trees have a significantly greater probability of dying”.
Experts suggest that implications can extend to beyond tropical forests. “We have long known that some trees survive multiple lightning,” said Gregory Moore, horticulturist at the University of Melbourne, citing parallels with fire -resistant trees in Australia.
Gora’s team now wants to widen their investigation to the forests of Africa and Southeast Asia to determine whether other trees share this surprising survival strategy.
