Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/P001564/1
Lightning: An invisible driver of tree mortality in the tropics?
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr T Hill, University of Exeter, Geography
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor TR Feldpausch, University of Exeter, Geography
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor A Haddad, Cardiff University, Sch of Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor ETA Mitchard, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Geosciences
- Grant held at:
- University of Exeter, Geography
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Panel C
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- Ecosystem impacts
- Climate & Climate Change
- Biodiversity
- Carbon cycling
- Biogeochemical Cycles
- Ecosystem function
- Forests
- Tropical ecosystems
- Vegetation change
- Ecosystem Scale Processes
- Abstract:
- Tropical forests are one of the most important and diverse ecosystems on Earth; they act as a vast store for living carbon and, in doing so they help mitigate climate change by lowering atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. However, in recent years, research has revealed an increase in the rate of tropic tree mortality, with the consequence that the strength of the carbon sink provided by tropical forests is reducing. It is therefore vital that we understand why tropical trees die and how this might change with climate change. This project will provide the very first assessment of the number of trees that are killed by lightning in tropical forests. We know that lightning can, and does, kill large trees. We also know that lightning strikes are most powerful and frequent in the tropics. Our estimates indicate that lightning strikes could affect trees containing over 1 % of the tropical forest biomass every year. If all these trees died it would indicate that lightning was a major controlling factor of tropical tree mortality rates. Worryingly, research has predicted that the rates of lightning strikes will increase significantly with climate change. Based on the most recent climate model simulations, lightning could increase by as much as 22 % to 60 % by 2100; Such an increase in lightning could substantially increase tree mortality, altering forest dynamics, and reducing the efficacy of tropical forests as a carbon store. Despite the potential significance of lightning induced tree mortality, very little is actually known about this process. This lack of knowledge arises from the simple fact that it is impossible to predict exactly when and where lightning will strike. This uncertainty makes the effects of lightning extremely hard to observe. An added complication is that trees damaged by lightning may not show any external signs of damage, making it impossible to attribute their death to lightning solely on the basis of visual observations. We propose to address the knowledge gap about lightning induced tree mortality with a revolutionary approach to observing lightning strikes on trees. To study the impacts of lightning on trees we have selected two high biomass tropical forest sites located in regions of high lightning activity in Nigeria and Cameroon. Unlike past studies that relied on visual observations, we will, for the first time, deploy sensors on 20,000 trees to provide an unambiguous record of lightning strikes over a 4 year period. We have adapted a sensor commonly used by electrical engineers to monitor electrical current and lightning strikes (called the Rogowski Coil) to make it inexpensive and easy to deploy in the field in large numbers. We have successfully tested our new version of this sensor in Cardiff University's unique lightning laboratory. By tracking a large cohort of trees we will be able to capture a large number of lightning strikes on trees and study these individuals to work out what happens following a lightning strike. We will use this information to determine which trees are struck by lightning, what happens to surrounding trees, how many trees are killed by lightning and how the carbon storage of the forest is affected. We will combine this information with environmental modelling to determine how lightning damages trees and induces mortality. Finally, we will estimate the tropical loss of biomass due to lightning strikes, and predict how biomass loss will be influenced by climate change. This research will be the very first systematic study on the rates of lightning induced tree mortality in the tropics. This information is vital to our understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle and its continuing efficacy as a carbon sink. Therefore, this research is a priority for making informed global policy decisions on climate change mitigation.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/P001564/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grant FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £654,799
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DA - Other Directly Allocated | DI - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £197,040 | £106,191 | £102,236 | £41,290 | £147,506 | £3,357 | £57,179 |
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