Getting hit by lightning is good for some tropical trees

Reminds me of how (small and regular) forest fires are actually healthy for giant sequoias.<p>&gt; Giant sequoia cones are serotinous, which means that fire on the forest floor causes them to dry out, open and release their seeds. This adaptation ensures that the tree times the release of most of its seeds to coincide with fire, which creates ideal conditions for regeneration success. Fire burns off woody debris and exposes the soil, it creates an ash layer that returns nutrients to the soil and increases sunlight by killing some of the competing pines and firs.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.savetheredwoods.org&#x2F;interactive&#x2F;giant-sequoia-and-fire&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.savetheredwoods.org&#x2F;interactive&#x2F;giant-sequoia-an...</a>

“If you explained trees to someone who’d never heard of them—towers that drink through their feet, turn light into food, and whisper through fungal cables—they’d think it’s the craziest tech ever invented.” Add this to the list

Really cool, feels like the v1 of the lightning trees from Hyperion. Was hoping there was a breakdown of how the trees accomplish this. Will be interested to see follow up

I have a grow tent in the basement with tropical shrubs - hibiscus, plumeria, jasmine. Maybe it&#x27;s time to make a Tesla coil...

I think the title is misleading. The lightning strike isn&#x27;t itself good for those trees. It just eliminates competition for resources by killing less resilient surrounding plants and trees.

Similarly, trees like Longleaf pine, Giant sequoia, and Coast redwood have adapted to not only tolerate but thrive through fire. Some even require fire to reproduce.

Also re: lightning and living things, from <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=43044159">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=43044159</a> :<p>&gt; <i>&quot;Gamma radiation is produced in large tropical thunderstorms&quot; (2024)</i><p>&gt; <i>&quot;Gamma rays convert CH4 to complex organic molecules [like glycine,], may explain origin of life&quot; (2024)</i>

Anyone know what makes these trees better able to take the hit? Do they insulate their trunks and hope to channel the strike through parasitic vines and competing trees? Or do they grow some kind of highly conductive guide to easily channel the strike to ground?<p>Neither seems plausible to me. The first perhaps is a bit less unlikely... I presume there is a third option that I missed.

Given that these trees may be intentionally attracting lightning to kill their neighbors, I wonder what the nature of their day-to-day interactions are like under the soil. Have other species evolved to attack these trees? Do they even know?

Given that there was enough time to make the trees lightning-resistant, I&#x27;m surprised there isn&#x27;t a lightning-resistant parasitic vine as well!<p>Fascinating stuff. :)

Earth has figured out the optimal way to operate over millions and millions of years of trial and error.<p>Our job is to get out of the way.

Unfortunately each tree will only be hit once.<p>Wut?

Fairly surprised there was no mention of nitrogen fixation in the article.

outstanding, a lightning trap for nearby plants, and maybe nearby animals i wonder