The ecological effects of lightning in a tropical forest

Lightning is common in many tropical forests, but its ecological effects are not well documented. Data from a decade of lightning monitoring on Barro Colorado Island, Panama (BCI), show that lightning is an important agent of tree mortality; the average strike kills 5 trees and damages 21 others. Collectively, lightning is responsible for 20% of annual gap area formation and 16% of annual woody biomass turnover at this site. The likelihood of tree death and damage from lightning on BCI varies with tree size and species, and the presence of lianas. Collectively, the results of this work suggest that predicted changes in regional lightning strike frequency will contribute to shaping future forest structure and dynamics.

Speaker: Steve Yanoviak, University of Louisville