The atmosphere is host to a complex electric environment, ranging from a global electric circuit generating fluctuating atmospheric electric fields to local lightning strikes and ions. While research on interactions of organisms with their electrical environment is deeply rooted in the aquatic environment, it has hitherto been confined to interactions with local electrical phenomena and organismal perception of electric fields. However, there is emerging evidence of coupling between large- and small-scale atmospheric electrical phenomena and various biological processes in terrestrial environments that even appear to be tied to continental waters. Here, we synthesize our current understanding of this connectivity, discussing how atmospheric electricity can affect various levels of biological organization across multiple ecosystems. We identify opportunities for research, highlighting its complexity and interdisciplinary nature and draw attention to both conceptual and technical challenges lying ahead of our future understanding of the relationship between atmospheric electricity and the organization and functioning of biological systems.

中文翻译：

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将大气电与生物系统耦合的挑战


大气层存在着复杂的电环境，从产生波动大气电场的全球电路到局部雷击和离子。虽然对生物体与其电环境相互作用的研究深深植根于水生环境，但迄今为止，它仅限于与局部电现象和生物体对电场的感知的相互作用。然而，越来越多的证据表明，大尺度和小尺度大气电现象与陆地环境中的各种生物过程之间存在耦合，甚至似乎与大陆水域有关。在这里，我们综合了目前对这种连通性的理解，讨论了大气电如何影响多个生态系统中不同层次的生物组织。我们确定研究机会，强调其复杂性和跨学科性质，并提请注意我们未来理解大气电与生物系统的组织和功能之间关系之前面临的概念和技术挑战。