Their work is detailed in a study published Wednesday in the journal New Phytologist.
oleiferas relationship with lightning after discovering a unique specimen in Panama in 2015.
Seven years later, the researchers discovered thatsome trees are more resistant to lightning strikesthan others.
New research suggests getting struck by lightning might be beneficial for Dipteryx oleifera trees.© Left: Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Right: wirestock via Freepik.
Nine of the 93 trees wereD.
oleifera, and all of them survived getting struck by lightning with little damage.
The electrocution reduced their parasitic vines by 78% and killed an average of 9.2 of their neighboring trees.
Left: a Dipteryx oleifera tree immediately after getting struck by lightning. Right: the same tree two years later. © Evan Gora
In Goras words, Its better off for aDipteryx oleiferatree to be struck than not.
Furthermore, the team found their observations to be broadly consistent across allD.
Thanks to drone technology, the researchers also noted thatD.
The reduction in vine infestation and tall neighbors givesD.
The researchers calculated thatD.
oleiferas lightning tolerance makes them 14 times more likely to produce offspring.
One of the nineD.
oleiferaobserved by the researchers was hit by lightning twice in half a decade.
Its hard not to think that with all these benefits, the trees might be doing it on purpose.
As a matter of fact, Gora and his colleagues suggest thatD.
oleiferamight have evolved to attract lightning, similarly to a lightning rod.
Overall, the study provides insight on the role of lightning tolerance in biodiversity.
Moving forward, the researchers are hoping to better understand the mechanisms behind the trees resistance to lightning.
Moral of the story: dont stand under trees during a lightning stormespecially aD.
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