Comparatively irregular events such as forest fires are necessary for some plants to grow (see here).
But do any plant or animal species have similar dependence on thunder and/or lightning?
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4$\begingroup$ Lightning is more or less the only non-human cause of forest fires $\endgroup$– C_Z_Jun 30, 2016 at 20:22
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$\begingroup$ @C_Z_ Ah, yes. That was not an intended connection, even though it is obvious now that you point it out. I was more thinking of direct effects of the immense light and sound… $\endgroup$– trmdttrJun 30, 2016 at 20:56
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$\begingroup$ do you mean for reproductive purposes? Or just in general? $\endgroup$– Vance L AlbaughJun 30, 2016 at 22:13
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$\begingroup$ @C_Z_ +1 for trees $\endgroup$– LuigiJul 1, 2016 at 2:02
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$\begingroup$ @C_Z_ What about dry fires in summer/dry season? They happen very frequently. Are they always started by people (genuinely curious)? $\endgroup$– JamesJul 1, 2016 at 5:15
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1 Answer
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Lightning results in nitrogen fixation (Draphco et al., 1967; Hill et al., 1980). It is one of the main abiotic nitrogen fixation mechanisms. As you would know very well, nitrogen fixation is important for all organisms.
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$\begingroup$ This is very good, but if there are other sources of nitrogen fixation, organisms are not really dependent on this source of it? $\endgroup$– trmdttrJul 3, 2016 at 11:37
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$\begingroup$ @trmdttr there are some organisms (mostly micro-organisms) that can fix nitrogen on their own. $\endgroup$– WYSIWYGJul 3, 2016 at 19:06
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$\begingroup$ So basically, all other organisms that cannot fix nitrogen themselves are dependent on lightning? Or do they use the fixed nitrogen from those microorganisms? $\endgroup$– trmdttrJul 4, 2016 at 18:12
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1$\begingroup$ @trmdttr they can depend on the other organisms that fix nitrogen as well as use the nitrogen fixed by the lightning. I believe initial lifeforms consumed the abiotically fixed nitrogen; subsequently some evolved to fix nitrogen themselves. $\endgroup$– WYSIWYGJul 4, 2016 at 18:17
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$\begingroup$ So, this answer doesn't really catch a necessary reliance on thunder or lightning for any specific organism? More a need for fixated nitrogen of which the majority comes from that source (but also from others)? $\endgroup$– trmdttrJul 4, 2016 at 19:18