For people, being struck by lightning can be an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal experience. It’s no different for trees — unless you’re talking about the almendro, an incredible tree native to Central America that seems to act like a natural lightning rod.
Ecologists at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies studied 93 trees that had been struck by lightning at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, located on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal. While monitoring the trees’ condition for up to six years after the strike, the researchers noticed that compared to other species that had been struck, the nine almendro trees (Dipteryx oleifera) in the study seemed to be faring remarkably well. Unlike the other trees of a similar height, of which 64% died within two years of being hit, all of the almendros survived with minimal damage.
A lightning strike appeared to confer multiple benefits on the almendro trees. After being struck, the almendro trees passed on the millions of volts to other trees in the vicinity, electrocuting and sometimes killing them — thus giving the almendro space to grow and better access to light. Growing next to a large almendro tree appeared to increase the neighboring tree’s risk of succumbing to a lethal lightning strike by 48%. The lightning strikes also claimed another casualty: parasitic vines known as lianas that typically steal light from the host tree’s leaves and sometimes stunt their growth. However, undergoing a lightning strike reduced the number of lianas by around 78%.
The almendro’s great height (around 165 feet, or 50.3 m) and unusually wide crown make it particularly susceptible to lightning strikes. Almendros are roughly 68% more likely than similar trees to be struck by lightning. However, while this would be a vulnerability for many other species, it seems to be an evolutionary advantage for the almendro. The researchers hypothesize that due to the efficient flow of water within the tree’s wood, it’s more electrically conductive than other species yet heats up less, thus avoiding damage.
The lightning rod tree?
- The almendro (Spanish for “almond”) is also known locally as the eboe, choibá, or tonka bean. It produces hardwood for timber and has edible seeds that taste like almonds, hence its common name. Oil from these seedpods can be used for torches, while the tree is also known for its gorgeous, long-lasting blooms of pink flowers.
- Almendro fruit and seeds are an important food source for dozens of animals in Central American rainforests, including the great green macaw, a critically endangered parrot species.
- Barro Colorado Island has been designated as a nature reserve for over a century and has been administered by the Smithsonian Institution since 1946. The island was created in 1913 during the construction of the Panama Canal, which created Lake Gatun, where the island now sits. The research station welcomes hundreds of visiting scientists every year to study its tropical forest ecosystem and is also open to members of the public (with advance reservations).
