The iconic baobabs of Africa are dying at an alarming rate

CROOKS CORNER, South Africa (AP) – The ancient African baobab, with its distinctive swollen trunk and known as the & # 39; "tree of life", is under a new name. Mysterious threat, some of the largest and oldest have suddenly disappeared in recent years.

Nine of the 13 oldest baobabs, aged between 1,000 and 2,500 years old, have been dead for a dozen years, according to a study published in the scientific journal. 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". 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 massive 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 studies hot and dry savannah expanses Southern Africa and is 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 iconic because of their size and shape and they are very distinctive on the African landscape, 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 are talking about occupations that took place several hundred years ago."

Baobabs store large amounts of water in their trunks and branches, giving the trees their bulbous shape. Tall trees can store up to 140,000 liters (37,000 gallons) of water drawn in during the rainy season. Thirsty elephants often strip a baobab tree of its bark and wood for moisture.

Trees are often revered by local communities who sometimes gather around them to hold traditional religious ceremonies and communicate with their ancestors. People also use baobab fruit to make drinks and mix them with milk for yogurt-like food, or just shelter in the shade of trees on a sweltering summer day

"A long time ago, there were no stores," said Anna Munzhelele from the Pafuri region near the Limpopo River in South Africa. "We would become strong … c & # 39; is like a type of medicine, we derive energy from it. . "

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