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by Kevin Sutherland | AP July 12 at 5:24
CROOKS CORNER, South Africa – The ancient baobab of Africa, with its distinctive puffed trunk and known as the "tree of life" , is under a new and mysterious threat, with some Nine of the 13 oldest baobabs, ages 1,000 to 2,500 years old, have been dead for a dozen years, according to a study published in the scientific journal Nature Plants.
The sudden collapse is "an event of unprecedented magnitude," says the study.
Climate change, with its increasing temperatures and increasing drought conditions, is a suspect factor, but no definite cause is known. The deaths occurred in the southern African countries of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. "Falling trees are south of the baobab distribution," said Stephan Woodborne. Foundation, an author of the study. "What we believe is that the climate envelope in which they exist is changing, and so we are not talking about the mbadive extinction of baobabs."
Juvenile trees in the affected area are very rare Woodborne says, "What we are probably looking at here is a change in their distribution in response to climate forcing."
Baobabs study hot, dry savannah patches Southern Africa and are often found in areas frequented by elephants. , rhinoceros and other wild animals. Elephants help spread trees when they eat baobab fruit, with seeds that often grow in nutritious elephant dung.
"Baobabs are obviously emblematic because of their size and shape. used them for various reasons over time, "said Woodborne." We find a lot of archaeological sites under these trees, and when we have trees that are over 1000 years old, we talk about the occupations that took place there are several hundred years. "
Baobabs store large amounts of water in their trunks and branches, giving the trees their bulbous shape.The tall trees can store up to 140 000 liters (37,000 gallons) of water drawn in during the rainy season The thirsty elephants often strip a baobab from its bark and wood to get their moisture.
Trees are often revered by local communities who sometimes gather around them to organize traditional religious ceremonies and communicate with their ancestors.People also use the baobab fruit to make drinks and mix them with milk for a nour rite similar to yoghurt, or just shelter in the shade of trees for a sweltering summer day
"There have been no shops for a long time. said Anna Munzhelele from the Pafuri region near the Limpopo River in South Africa. "We would become strong … it's like a type of medicine, we derive energy from it."
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