Baobab Trees – The Ancient Giants Symbolizing the African Savanna, Mysteriously Dying en Masse.
According to BBC, international scientists have discovered that most of the largest and oldest baobab trees in Africa have been dying over the past 12 years for unclear reasons.
The research team, from universities in South Africa, Romania, and the United States, stated that this loss is “an unprecedented event.”
Panke, the oldest baobab tree in Africa, now deceased – (Photo: JOCELYN ALEXANDER).
In the journal Nature Plants, the research team reported that the deaths of these trees are not due to disease. They suspect that climate change may be related, although there is no direct evidence.
Previously, researchers visited ancient trees in southern Africa since 2005, using radiocarbon methods to measure their age and structure.
Surprisingly, they found that 8 out of the 13 oldest baobab trees and 5 out of the 6 largest baobab trees had either completely died or partially died. These trees, scattered across Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia, are estimated to be between 1,000 and over 2,500 years old.
“We suspect that this is related to drought and rising temperatures“, said Dr. Adrian Patrut from Babes-Bolyai University in Romania. However, he mentioned that further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Baobab trees are also known as “dead rat trees” due to the shape of their fruit. Characterized by their thick trunks and ability to store large amounts of water, these trees are well-equipped to withstand dry conditions.
Baobab trees can grow to a very large size and can live for hundreds to thousands of years.
