Summary The mortality rates of large trees are critical to determining carbon stocks in tropical forests, but the mechanisms tree remain poorly understood. Lightning strikes thousands every day, is commonly assumed be a minor agent most forests. We use first systematic quantification lightning‐caused show that lightning major cause death for largest an old‐growth lowland forest Panama. A novel strike location system together with field surveys sites revealed that, on average, each directly...

Abstract Historically, researchers explore the effectiveness of one lightning detection system with respect to another system; that is, probability A detects a discharge given B detected same is estimated. Since no all lightning, more rigorous comparison should include reverse process—that it. Further, use fundamental physical process by each system. Of particular interest ground-based radio frequency detectors space-based optical detectors. Understanding these relationships critical as...

Abstract Lightning strikes are a common source of disturbance in tropical forests, and typical strike generates large quantities dead wood. Lightning‐damaged trees consistent resource for saproxylic (i.e., wood‐dependent) organisms, but patterns consumer colonization succession following lightning not known. Here, we documented the occurrence four taxa spanning multiple trophic levels—beetles, Azteca ants, termites, fungi—in sites nearby undamaged control over time lowland forest Panama....

The first comprehensive investigation into the ecological effects of lightning revealed that it is a major driver tropical plant mortality, gap formation, and biomass carbon turnover in mature forest. These findings demonstrated capacity to influence forest dynamics, but those data are restricted single at spatial scale (~15 km2) much smaller than which atmospheric processes controlling operate (10s 100s km). Given evidence severe storm frequency increasing with climate change, we need...

Lightning strikes kill hundreds of millions trees annually, but their role in shaping tree life history and diversity is largely unknown. Here, we use data from a unique lightning location system to show that some individual counterintuitively benefit being struck by lightning. killed 56% 93 directly caused an average 41% crown dieback among the survivors. However, these trees, 10 direct negligible damage Dipteryx oleifera while killing 78% lianas 2.1 Mg competitor biomass. Nine other...

Abstract Lightning is a major agent of disturbance, but its ecological effects in the tropics are unquantified. Here we used ground and satellite sensors to quantify geography lightning strikes terrestrial tropical ecosystems, evaluate whether spatial variation frequency associated with forest structure dynamics. Between 2013 2018, ecosystems received an average 100.4 million per year, was spatially autocorrelated at local‐to‐continental scales. were more frequent forests, savannas, urban...

Abstract As more lightning locating systems (LLSs) become available, there is a growing need to assess how each LLS performs and best merge data from multiple LLSs. A Bayesian analysis used compare the worldwide of LLSs three providers for November 2014 October 2015: Earth Networks Total Lightning Network (ENTLN, Networks), combined Global Detection 360 National (Vaisala), World Wide Location (WWLLN, University Washington). By using union sets we are able determine an estimate upper limit...

Abstract Lightning is a common source of disturbance, but its ecological effects in tropical forests are largely undescribed. Here we quantify the contributions lightning strikes to forest turnover and plant mortality lowland Panamanian using real‐time monitoring system. We examined 2,195 lightning‐damaged trees distributed among 93 different strikes. None exhibited scars or fires. On average, each strike disturbed 451 m 2 (95% CI: 365–545 ), created canopy gap 304 CI 198–454 caused 7.36 Mg...

Abstract The effects of lightning on trees range from catastrophic death to the absence observable damage. Such differences may be predictable among tree species, and more generally plant life history strategies growth forms. We used field‐collected electrical resistivity data in temperate tropical forests model how distribution power a discharge varies with size identity, presence lianas. Estimated heating density (heat generated per volume tissue) maximum (maximum rate heating)...

Abstract Tree death due to lightning influences tropical forest carbon cycling and tree community dynamics. However, the distribution of damage among trees in forests remains poorly understood. We developed models predict direct secondary based on size, crown exposure local structure. parameterized these using data locations strikes censuses strike zones, combined with drone‐based maps crowns all within a 50‐ha dynamics plot Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The likelihood increased larger...

Lightning is an important agent of plant mortality and disturbance in forests. Lightning-caused highly variable terms its area effect severity (i.e. tree damage death), but we do not know how this variation influenced by forest structure composition. We used a novel lightning detection system to quantify lianas the spatial extent area) using 78 strikes central Panama. The local density (measured as liana basal was positively associated with number trees killed damaged lightning, patterns...

Urbanization tends to increase local lightning frequency (i.e. the ‘lightning enhancement’ effect). Despite many urban areas showing enhancement, prevalence of these effects is unknown and drivers underlying patterns are poorly quantified. We conducted a global assessment cloud-to-ground flashes (lightning strikes) across 349 cities evaluate how likelihood magnitude enhancement vary with geography, climate, air pollution, topography development. The exhibiting increased higher temperature...

The relative timing between terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) and lightning optical emissions is a critical parameter that may elucidate the production mechanism(s) of TGFs. In this work, we study correlation detected by Geostationary Lightning Mapper TGFs triggered Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor. result suggests are produced during last stage leader channel development. Accordingly, initiated leaders perhaps augmented additional electron acceleration multiplication ambient large-scale...

Abstract A previous study of the relative timing between optical lightning emission detected by Geostationary Lightning Mapper and a sample 24 simultaneous Terrestrial Gamma‐ray Flashes (TGFs) triggering Fermi Burst Monitor has shown that gamma‐ray signal appears at same time as or slightly before stroke signal. similar result been demonstrated using data from Atmosphere‐Space Interactions Monitor. In this work, we add 95 additional untriggered (offline) TGFs to further investigate...