A study by the Technical University of Munich reveals lightning strikes kill around 320 million trees yearly across the world. This excludes trees burned in fires started by lightning, meaning the actual number may be higher. Researchers created a new global model to measure tree deaths caused by lightning and predict its growing role in forest loss and carbon emissions.

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• 320 million trees die annually due to direct lightning strikes
• Damage often invisible, making past detection and estimates difficult
• New model integrates lightning data with global vegetation patterns
• Tree death releases 0.77–1.09 billion tons CO₂ annually from decay
• Equals up to 2.9% of global plant biomass loss every year
• Tropical forests currently see the highest lightning-related mortality
• Future rise predicted in temperate and boreal forests as lightning increases
• Emissions from dead trees nearing levels of wildfire plant emissions
• Climate models show lightning frequency will rise with global warming
• Study urges including lightning in carbon and forest health models