URL: https://www.science.org/content/article/shocker-tropical-tree-thrives-after-being-struck-lightning
I'm a big fan of trees. And this is so cool. After I read it I couldn't get to sleep for quite a while after:
The researchers calculated that living near an almendro increases a given tree’s likelihood of dying during a strike by 48%—so lightning may help eliminate trees that might grow tall enough to compete for an almendro’s sunlight, Gora says. “Any tree that gets close essentially gets electrocuted.”
In earlier research, the team found the species is more electrically conductive than others, possibly because of how efficiently water flows through its wood. As a result, for a given amount of electrical current, almendros would likely heat up less than other species and therefore take less damage.
The almendro tree is so tolerant of strikes, in fact, that it may well be summoning lightning.
THE TREE MIGHT AS WELL BE A LIGHTNING SUMMONER!
The almendro may not be alone. Anecdotal observations from across the tropics suggest that lightning-proof species aren’t unique to Panama, Gora says. “It seems very likely that certain trees are benefitting from lightning across forests globally.”