NewsPlantsSome tropical trees act as lightning rods to fend off rivalsTaking a jolt of lightning also kills parasitic vines A Dipteryx oleifera tree, standing tall in the jungle. Researchers think that this trees height and large crown attract lightning.Evan GoraBy Javier Barbuzano1 hour agoGetting hit by lightning is not usually a good thing. But one tropical tree species seems to harness heavens wrath. Not only do the trees survive lightning strikes, but their height and voluminous crowns act as natural lightning rods, attracting strikes that damage foes and boost their competitive advantage in the dense jungle.The finding, reported March 26 in New Phytologist, comes from a years-long effort at Barro Colorado Nature Monument in Panama, where scientists studied lightnings overall impact on the forest. Using a camera array, drones and ground teams, researchers tracked lightning strikes and their effects. The team expected to find only detrimental effects on trees; however, it soon became clear that Dipteryx oleifera, also called almendro, benefited from the shock therapy to fend off rival trees and get rid of parasitic vines.Sign up for our newsletterWe summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.