Collaborative Research: The biology of lightning in tropical forests

合作研究：热带森林闪电生物学

• 批准号: 1354060
• 负责人: Stephen Yanoviak
• 金额: $ 9.45万
• 依托单位: University of Louisville Research Foundation Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-07-01 至 2017-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1354060&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; biology; lightning; tropical

Lightning is an exceptionally powerful natural phenomenon; its destructive effects have been a source of fear and fascination for humans throughout history. Scientists have a relatively good understanding of the physics of lightning, but its ecological importance at the landscape scale - especially its role as an agent of tree death - remain unclear. Measuring the effects of lightning in tropical forests is important because lightning frequency is expected to increase by as much as 50% over the next few decades as the climate warms. Moreover, tropical forest structure is changing as lianas (woody vines) become more abundant. This research will provide the foundation for understanding how such changes will affect forest dynamics and ecosystem processes such as carbon cycling in the tropical rainforests of Panama. The field site in Panama is a popular tourist destination, thus the project provides a unique opportunity for participants to interact regularly with the public. Student training is an integral part of the project. Collaboration with the Kentucky Science Center will result in the production of a Podcast highlighting this research, and public discussions with project participants in a Science Café format. Ecologists consistently list lightning as a source of tropical tree mortality, yet supporting data are remarkably scant. This project will systematically quantify lightning effects on tropical trees and lianas on a forest-wide scale in real time. The work will integrate information from field ecology, physics, and plant electrophysiology to answer three basic questions: What is the extent of lightning-caused tree mortality across a lowland tropical forest landscape? Are some trees or tree species especially susceptible to, or resistant to, the damaging effects of lightning? Do lianas function as lightning rods, protecting their host trees against lightning damage? Field work will be conducted in Panama at one of the best-studied tropical forest sites in the world. The methodology includes the installation of automated electronic sensors for monitoring strike events over large expanses of forest canopy. This project will also deploy an experimental lightning induction device - the Balloon Originating Lightning Trigger - to experimentally manipulate strike events to trees and lianas on isolated islands. Results of this work will fundamentally transform our understanding of tropical forest dynamics by quantifying lightning effects across the landscape and uncovering key interactions between lightning, lianas, and trees. In a practical context, this project will also reveal potentially confounding effects of communications towers and canopy cranes on tree mortality rates. This proposal is co-funded by the Division of Environmental Biology and the Physics of Living Systems program in the Physics Division.

闪电是一种异常强大的自然现象；纵观历史，它的破坏性影响一直是人类恐惧和着迷的根源，科学家们对闪电的物理原理有相对较好的了解，但它在景观尺度上的生态重要性——尤其是它作为一种生物的作用。树木死亡的原因 - 测量热带森林中的闪电影响非常重要，因为随着气候变暖，闪电频率预计在未来几十年内将增加 50%。此外，热带森林结构正在随着藤本植物的变化而变化。 （木质的这项研究将为了解这些变化将如何影响巴拿马热带雨林的碳循环等森林动态和生态系统过程提供基础，因此该项目提供了巴拿马热带雨林的碳循环。与肯塔基州科学中心合作的学生培训是一个独特的机会，将重点介绍这项研究，并在科学咖啡馆与项目参与者进行公开讨论。生态学家一致的格式。将闪电列为热带树木死亡的一个原因，但支持数据很少。该项目最终将实时量化闪电对整个森林范围内的热带树木和藤本植物的影响。这项工作将整合来自野外生态学、物理学、和植物电生理学来回答三个基本问题：低地热带森林景观中闪电导致的树木死亡程度如何？某些树木或树种是否特别容易受到或抵抗闪电的破坏作用？避雷针，保护它们的宿主实地工作将在巴拿马世界上研究最充分的热带森林之一进行，该项目还将安装自动电子传感器来监测大片森林树冠的雷击事件。部署实验性闪电感应装置——气球起源闪电触发器——以实验性地操纵对孤岛树木和藤本植物的袭击事件，这项工作的结果将从根本上改变我们对热带森林动态的理解，通过量化闪电对整个景观的影响并揭示关键的相互作用。之间在实际情况下，该项目还将揭示通信塔和树冠起重机对树木死亡率的潜在混杂影响。该提案由环境生物学部和生命系统物理学项目共同资助。在物理系。

项目成果

Quantification and identification of lightning damage in tropical forests

热带森林雷害的量化和识别

• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3095
• 发表时间: 2017-07
• 期刊: Ecology and Evolution
• 影响因子: 2.6
• 作者: Yanoviak, Stephen P.;Gora, Evan M.;Burchfield, Jeffrey M.;Bitzer, Phillip M.;Detto, Matteo
• 通讯作者: Detto, Matteo

Effects of lightning on trees: A predictive model based on in situ electrical resistivity

闪电对树木的影响：基于原位电阻率的预测模型

• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3347
• 发表时间: 2017-10
• 期刊: Ecology and Evolution
• 影响因子: 2.6
• 作者: Gora EM;Bitzer PM;Burchfield JC;Schnitzer SA;Yanoviak SP
• 通讯作者: Yanoviak SP