Zapping the Competition

Lightning usually spells doom for trees. One tropical species in Panama, however, welcomes it. 

A new study found that the towering Dipteryx oleifera species doesn’t just survive lightning strikes, it actually thrives because of them. 

“Seeing that there are trees that get struck by lightning and they’re fine was just mind-blowing,” Evan Gora, lead author and forest ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, explained in a statement.  

For years, Gora and his team tracked 93 lightning-struck trees in Panama using a unique detection system for lightning. They reported that they found that all nine Dipteryx trees in the group survived, with only minor damage.  

In contrast, 64 percent of the other species struck died within two years. 

The researchers noted that surviving the zaps wasn’t just a matter of resilience: On average, each lightning strike zapped 9.2 neighboring trees, reducing competition for sunlight and space.  

Even better, it fried about 78 percent of the parasitic vines, or lianas, that often sap nutrients and block light on the trees. The findings showed that Dipteryx trees grew about four meters taller than their closest neighbors – likely because lightning kept clearing the path for them. 

“(This) data provides the first evidence that some trees benefit from being struck by lightning,” the authors wrote.  

Or as Gora put it: “It’s better off for a Dipteryx oleifera tree to be struck than not.” 

The team suspects that the species may have evolved to attract lightning: The trees are 30 percent taller and have 50 percent larger crowns than average trees – traits that make them more likely targets.  

The team estimated that a single tree is struck every 56 years on average and can endure multiple hits across its centuries-long lifespan. 

“My guess would be many of these individuals are hundreds, or maybe even more than 1,000 years old,” Gora told NPR.