Driving beyond South Africa’s Limpopo province, into the village of Chivadini, people and grassland are scarce. But the oldest living organisms in Africa – baobab trees – are abundant.
These spectral behemoths blend into the Saharan countryside and have been an icon of the African savannah since millennia.
As the oldest seed producing trees in the world, their resilience – some are more than 2,000 years old – have earned them many names in myths, legends and folklore.
The baobab has been called the tree of life, the monkey bread tree and the upside down tree – owing to its fat trunk with roots meandering toward the sky.
Some of the oldest and biggest baobab trees in southern Africa have died recently, and it may be due to climate change, according to a 2018 study published in the journal Nature Plants.
Some of the trees located in Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia dated back to the times of the ancient Greeks.
The iconic baobab tree, with its massive trunk and sprawling canopy, is a distinctive part of the African landscape. These majestic trees can live for thousands of years, serving as symbols of strength and endurance. However, in recent years, there have been increasing reports of baobab trees dying off prematurely. If your beloved baobab seems to be in decline, it’s critical to understand the potential causes so you can try to revive it. This article explores the leading theories behind baobab tree death.
Overview of Baobab Trees
Baobabs belong to the genus Adansonia and are found naturally in Africa Madagascar, and Australia. There are nine species of baobab trees six from Madagascar, two from mainland Africa and one from Australia. The African baobab (Adansonia digitata) is the most widespread and iconic species. These deciduous trees are massive in size, with trunks up to 30 feet in diameter. Their sparse branches and leaves bloom with fragrant flowers. Baobabs can live for thousands of years, with some African baobabs estimated to be over 2,500 years old.
Reasons for Baobab Tree Decline
What could be causing these ancient giants to perish? Here are the leading theories behind the deaths of baobab trees:
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Climate Change – Rising temperatures, drought, and erratic rainfall are stressing baobab trees. Hotter and drier conditions cause moisture loss and prevent adequate water uptake. Lack of water makes it harder for trees to survive drought.
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Habitat Loss – Agricultural expansion and development drives deforestation of baobab habitats. Loss of their ecological niche contributes to baobab decline.
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Disease – Fungal pathogens like phytophthora are infecting and killing baobabs. One species phytophthora cinnamomi has been associated with baobab deaths. Disease outbreaks are harder for drought-stressed trees to withstand.
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Elephants – Elephants strip baobab bark and break branches to eat, causing fatal damage. Baobabs regenerate slowly, so elephant damage speeds mortality. Declining elephant habitat may increase baobab targeting.
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Human Activity – Harvesting baobab bark, fruits, and roots for medicinal uses depletes trees. Cutting branches for firewood also harms baobabs. Pollution and soil degradation near human settlements may stress trees.
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Invasive Species – Introduced herbivores like goats denude and damage baobabs. Non-native plants outcompete baobab seedlings. Invasive organisms contribute to baobab decline.
Saving a Dying Baobab Tree
If your baobab is suffering, act quickly to nurse it back to health. Here are tips for reviving a declining baobab:
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Exclude livestock and block access by elephants to prevent further damage.
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Prune dead branches and disinfect wounds to stop disease spread.
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Improve soil conditions with compost, mulch, and key nutrients if lacking.
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Water thoroughly in dry periods to prevent fatal desiccation.
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Treat disease outbreaks rapidly with fungicides if appropriate.
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Reduce nearby habitat destruction and pollution that causes stress.
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Fence off seedlings from browsers to aid regeneration.
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Consult arborists for diagnosis and recovery recommendations.
With attentive care and protection from ongoing threats, treasured baobab trees can recover from distress and persist. But the long-term preservation of baobabs requires addressing root causes like climate change and habitat loss on a global scale. The future of these ancient giants depends on humanity’s will to coexist sustainably with nature. With wisdom and compassion, we can safeguard baobabs to endure for millennia more, gracing Africa’s landscapes with their iconic beauty and timeless wonder.
Baobabs have endured harsher conditions
Researchers found that nine of the oldest 13 baobab trees and five of the six biggest ones have partially or completely died in the past 12 years.
The baobab tree, can live to be 3,000 years old, and can grow as wide as the length of a bus and tower 20 meters above us, according to the website of Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Given their age, the trees have withstood conditions often harsher than what they faced today.
“Over the last 1,000 years in Southern Africa the baobabs have endured way worse droughts than we’re enduring, and they’ve had much wetter periods,” said Stephan Woodborne.
In Johannesburg, where he is senior scientist at iThemba labs, Woodborne uses accelerator mass spectrometry, a form of radiocarbon dating, to determine the ages of these trees.
“Of the oldest trees that we’ve looked at in Southern Africa, the three trees that are older than 2,000 years, in the last 10 years, they’ve all died. Of the 11 trees that are in that age 1,000 to 2,000 years, six of them have died,” he said.
“When you look at the locations where these millennial and very large baobabs have died, they’re all located in Southern Africa. It’s not baobabs in general. It’s only baobabs that are at the southern margin,” said Woodborne.
“We suspect that the demise of monumental baobabs may be associated at least in part with significant modifications of climate conditions that affect southern Africa in particular. However, further research is necessary to support or refute this supposition,” the authors of the 2018 report wrote.
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Driving beyond South Africa’s Limpopo province, into the village of Chivadini, people and grassland are scarce. But the oldest living organisms in Africa – baobab trees – are abundant.
These spectral behemoths blend into the Saharan countryside and have been an icon of the African savannah since millennia.
As the oldest seed producing trees in the world, their resilience – some are more than 2,000 years old – have earned them many names in myths, legends and folklore.
The baobab has been called the tree of life, the monkey bread tree and the upside down tree – owing to its fat trunk with roots meandering toward the sky.
But these strange looking giants are dying.
Some of the oldest and biggest baobab trees in southern Africa have died recently, and it may be due to climate change, according to a 2018 study published in the journal Nature Plants.
Some of the trees located in Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia dated back to the times of the ancient Greeks.
Africa’s ancient Baobab trees are mysteriously dying
FAQ
Why is my baobab dying?
What kills baobab trees?
What threatens the baobab tree?
What helps the baobab tree survive?
Why are baobab trees dying?
Scientists wanted to understand how baobab trees live for thousands of years. Then the ancient trees started dying. Scientists wanted to understand how baobab trees live for thousands of years. Then the ancient trees started dying. The culprit is still unknown—and at large. Baobabs are an iconic part of the sub-Saharan landscape in Africa.
How many baobab trees have died in Africa?
Nine of 13 of Africa’s oldest and largest baobab trees have died in the past decade, it has been reported. These trees, aged between 1,100 and 2,500 years, appear to be victims of climate change.
Are African baobab trees in trouble?
BEFORE THE FALL African baobab trees may be in trouble. After living some 1,400 years, this specimen in Botswana — called the Chapman tree — toppled and died in 2016. The last 13 years have been terrible for ancient African baobab trees.
What happened to the oldest African baobab tree?
After living some 1,400 years, this specimen in Botswana — called the Chapman tree — toppled and died in 2016. The last 13 years have been terrible for ancient African baobab trees. Nine of the 13 oldest either lost trunks or died altogether after having lived for longer than a millennium, researchers report June 11 in Nature Plants.