The almendro (Dipteryx oleifera) is a massive rainforest tree native to Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. While studying the impact of lightning on a forest in Panama's Barro Colorado Nature Monument, researchers discovered that the almendro trees have a very special power. While a lightning strike has disastrous effect on most trees, the almendro trees not only survive but benefit from the zap.
The lightning destroys the parasitic climbing plants—lianas—that suck up the trees nutrients and block the sunlight. Apparently, the benefits amplify the almendro's reproductive success by a factor of 14, according to the scientists from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.
From Science News:
In fact, growing next to a D. oleifera tree seems to be hazardous for neighboring trees, as the findings suggest that almendro trees actively attract lightning. They tend to grow taller and possess wider crowns than their neighbors, making them 68 percent more susceptible to strikes.
How D. oleifera survives the lightning strikes remains unclear. One possibility is that the tree's wood has low electrical resistance, allowing it to safely conduct current to the ground without excessive heat buildup. Another hypothesis posits that the tree's crown structure redirects electricity away from the trunk, channeling it toward neighboring trees.
Previously:
• Rare 'positive' lightning bolt caught on video
