Lightning impacts on global forest and carbon dynamics: Current understanding and knowledge gaps

Sander Veraverbeke; Thomas A. J. Janssen; Esther Brambleby; Matt Jones; Bianca Zoletto; Masha T. van der Sande

doi:10.1111/gcb.70179

Lightning impacts on global forest and carbon dynamics: Current understanding and knowledge gaps

Sander Veraverbeke, Thomas A. J. Janssen, Esther Brambleby, Matt Jones, Bianca Zoletto, Masha T. van der Sande

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Lightning is a fundamental Earth system process that influences the world's major forest biomes and their carbon storage through two primary pathways. Lightning is the major cause of boreal forest fires, while lightning strikes kill patches of trees in tropical forests. We summarized the current understanding of these processes and identified knowledge gaps.

Original language	English
Article number	e70179
Journal	Global Change Biology
Volume	31
Issue number	4
Early online date	7 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70179
Publication status	Published - Apr 2025

Keywords

boreal
carbon
fire
forest
lightning
tree mortality
tropical

Access to Document

10.1111/gcb.70179Licence: CC BY

Veraverbeke_etal_2025_GlobalChangeBiologyFinal published version, 590 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{470685f8fa5d4c15a73e5f293fbf853a,

title = "Lightning impacts on global forest and carbon dynamics: Current understanding and knowledge gaps",

abstract = "Lightning is a fundamental Earth system process that influences the world's major forest biomes and their carbon storage through two primary pathways. Lightning is the major cause of boreal forest fires, while lightning strikes kill patches of trees in tropical forests. We summarized the current understanding of these processes and identified knowledge gaps.",

keywords = "boreal, carbon, fire, forest, lightning, tree mortality, tropical",

author = "Sander Veraverbeke and Janssen, {Thomas A. J.} and Esther Brambleby and Matt Jones and Bianca Zoletto and {van der Sande}, {Masha T.}",

note = "Data Availability Statement: The tree cover and intact forest data in Figure 1 are publicly available. The lightning data in Figure 1 can be obtained from the corresponding author upon request. Funding: This work was supported by HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council (Grant 101000987). Netherlands Foundation for Scientific research, project number NWO-Veni.192.027. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/V01417X/1). UKRI NERC ARIES Doctoral Training Partnership (grant no. NE/S007334/1).",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1111/gcb.70179",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

journal = "Global Change Biology",

issn = "1354-1013",

publisher = "Wiley",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Lightning impacts on global forest and carbon dynamics: Current understanding and knowledge gaps

AU - Veraverbeke, Sander

AU - Janssen, Thomas A. J.

AU - Brambleby, Esther

AU - Jones, Matt

AU - Zoletto, Bianca

AU - van der Sande, Masha T.

N1 - Data Availability Statement: The tree cover and intact forest data in Figure 1 are publicly available. The lightning data in Figure 1 can be obtained from the corresponding author upon request. Funding: This work was supported by HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council (Grant 101000987). Netherlands Foundation for Scientific research, project number NWO-Veni.192.027. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/V01417X/1). UKRI NERC ARIES Doctoral Training Partnership (grant no. NE/S007334/1).

PY - 2025/4

Y1 - 2025/4

N2 - Lightning is a fundamental Earth system process that influences the world's major forest biomes and their carbon storage through two primary pathways. Lightning is the major cause of boreal forest fires, while lightning strikes kill patches of trees in tropical forests. We summarized the current understanding of these processes and identified knowledge gaps.

AB - Lightning is a fundamental Earth system process that influences the world's major forest biomes and their carbon storage through two primary pathways. Lightning is the major cause of boreal forest fires, while lightning strikes kill patches of trees in tropical forests. We summarized the current understanding of these processes and identified knowledge gaps.

KW - boreal

KW - carbon

KW - fire

KW - forest

KW - lightning

KW - tree mortality

KW - tropical

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105002140413&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/gcb.70179

DO - 10.1111/gcb.70179

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105002140413

SN - 1354-1013

VL - 31

JO - Global Change Biology

JF - Global Change Biology

IS - 4

M1 - e70179

ER -

Lightning impacts on global forest and carbon dynamics: Current understanding and knowledge gaps

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Climate change impacts on wildfire ignitions by lightning and the safe management of landscape fuels

Cite this

Lightning impacts on global forest and carbon dynamics: Current understanding and knowledge gaps

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Projects

Climate change impacts on wildfire ignitions by lightning and the safe management of landscape fuels

Cite this