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Lightning Protection Trees are the most common targets for lightning.
Most lightning passes through trees on the way to the ground,
because water is a better electrical conductor than air, and the
water in a tree is near the cambium just under the bark.
The best way to prevent such a potential problem would be to install lightning rods. Lightning protection systems do not always prevent a tree from being struck by lightning, but it is possible to equip a tree so that lightning can be conducted harmlessly into the soil. Lightning protection systems consist of heavy, copper cables that are installed from the highest point of a tree and from the ends of major branches, down to the trunk, and into the soil beyond the trees main root area. 
How does it work?
A lightning strike consists of opposite charges of electrical energy. A negative charge occurs in the cloud: a positive charge occurs in the ground. As the two opposite charges build up, the dry air belt separating the two charges gets moist, allowing the lightning to start toward the earth in 150-foot jagged steps. If it hits a tree without protection, the positive lighting charges would be trapped under and within the tree, resulting in damages. With protection, the positive charge in the ground is attracted upward, utilizing the lightning protection system in the tree. When the negative lightning charge is about 150 feet above the top of the protected tree, the positive ground charge starts upward to meet it. The two opposite charges are neutralized, emptying the cloud of its negative charge and dissipating the ground charge. |
