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Lightning strikes cost 320 million trees every year - worldwide danger!
Researchers at TUM show that 320 million trees die from lightning every year, which has an impact on carbon storage.
Lightning strikes cost 320 million trees every year - worldwide danger!
Researchers of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have found in a recent study that around 320 million trees worldwide die directly from lightning strikes every year. This worrying number is based on newly developed model calculations that give a new dimension to previous findings on tree mortality caused by lightning.
What is particularly alarming is that this estimate only takes into account direct damage from lightning strikes; Fires caused by lightning are not included in this figure. This makes it clear that the actual impact of lightning on forests could be more widespread than previously thought. The study estimates that lightning strikes account for between 2.1 and 2.9 percent of annual dead plant biomass and represent a significant contribution to global CO2 emissions.
Underestimated damage
Before this study was published, it was unclear how many trees die each year as a direct result of lightning strikes. The TUM researchers developed a novel method to estimate these losses. This was done by extending an established vegetation model based on extensive observational studies and lightning data. The data suggests that lightning damage in forests is difficult to detect and has only been systematically studied in a few regions.
Andreas Krause, the first author of the study and researcher at the Chair of Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, explains that modeling future lightning damage is complex. Forecasts suggest that an increase in thunderstorms, particularly in mid- and high-latitudes, could increase the frequency of lightning strikes. This could have further devastating effects on forests and their ability to store carbon.
Global influence
The researchers show that the loss of biomass due to lightning strikes releases around 770 to 1090 million tonnes of carbon dioxide globally. This is in a similar relationship to the emissions caused annually by vegetation fires. These findings highlight not only the dangers of lightning strikes to forests, but also the far-reaching implications for the global climate and environment.
The TUM study thus revises the understanding of the influence of lightning strikes on forests and opens up new perspectives for further research. As extreme weather events increase, these issues are becoming increasingly important for climate researchers and environmentalists.