Magnificent Baobab Tree!!!

Baobab Tree  is the  native of Africa, Australia  and India. It is called the Tree of Life because it provides  food, clothing and shelter to mankind. It is easily recognisable and has distinctive appearance because of huge, bulky trunk. It is called “upside-down tree”  because its branches look  like roots hanging  in the air.

Their scientific classification is as follows:

Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Adansonia
Species:	Digitata
Binomial Name:	Adansonia Digitata

This tree has a massive  trunk. Height varies from 20 to 100 feet. Their trunk diameter varies beteen 18 to 30 feet. The speciality of the tree is that trunk of the tree does not develop annual growth rings. We have to determine the age of the tree  through Radio Carbon Dating. The tree will live upto 3000 years. There are eight species of Baobab trees.

The leaves, fruits, seeds have several uses not known to many. The leaves are good source of iron and can be used just like a leafy vegetable. Fruits  are nutritionally rich with vitamin C and calcium. The fruit is dried and seeds are separated. This fruit pulp can be mixed with milk and taken. Fruit pulp is useful in the manufacture of soft drinks. Seeds are powdered to extract vegetable oil.  They are also a source of  fuel, dye and fiber. The bark of the tree is useful for preparing fiber and then cloth.

The Baobab trees are huge and magnificent. They are capable of surviving for several thousands of years. They provide shelter to several animals like  bushbabies, squirrels, rodents, lizards, snakes, tree frogs and  scorpions.Insects like spiders, butterfly, ants, flies live in  a single tree. Holes in the trunk provide ideal nesting sites for birds such as  hornbills, parrots, sparrows, doves, woodpeckers and spinetails. Larger cavities are housed by Barn Owls  and Ground Hornbills. Eagles, vultures and storks frequently build their large stick nests on the outer branches.Monkeys and Baboons live in colonies on the same trees. Thus the tree balances  the ecosystem within the itself.

Adaptations of Baobab trees:

• They usually grow in the hot  climate. They reflect light and heat keeping them cool during hot summer months.
• The trunk of the tree is soft and slippery. Small herbivores, monkeys,squirrels  climb and feed the young leaves of the trees.
• Bark of the Baobab tree  is more porous than the regular wood. They absorb moisture like sponge during rainy season.
• Flowers of Baobab are white in colour with a stinking smell. Fruit bats, flies, moths and ants are attracted by the smell and help  in pollination.
• Leaves and shoots are tiny finger like clusters produced during rainy season. The small size of the leaves helps to  limit the water loss. The ability of the trunk to store water helps the tree to survive during summer months and during draughts.
• The trees grow in arid and deciduous areas. They also shed their leaves during dry season. The trunk of the trees store water upto 1,20,000 litres to ensure water supply through out the year,even during severe droughts.
• Stems of the trees are U shaped  and they help in collecting water from  the morning dew and  the rain water  in the rainy season.

These  magnificient  trees  are now threatened species. Entire world is facing draught several times in a year due to desertification and global warming. There is change in the weather pattern almost everywhere. We also find alterations in climate in all regions. Man is over harvesting due to ever increasing population. People  also damage the  bark of the tree for clothes and ropes. Therefore the Baobab trees are not able to survive.

 Another reason for their threat is that elephants, the carriers of the seeds are dwindling in number .   Elephants feed on the leaves and fruits of these trees. The seeds germinate only  after the seeds have passed  through the digestive tract of the elephants. Elephants are dwindling in number due to  loss of habitat and also due to illegal  poaching. The propagation of the trees has virtually stopped indicating the inter-dependence of plants and animals. So these  trees are threatened species of the plant kingdom.

Man requires his counterparts in animal kingdom and plant kingdom to survive efficiently. Man should not create an imbalance in his environment  by disturbing it.The food web, food chain etc gets disturbed. The disturbed animal and the plant species move towards their extinction. This is causing drastic effects in our lives.He should practice “Live and let live” to preserve the biodiversity of our planet. Man should coexist with natural flora and fauna.Mankind,Palant kingdom, animal kingdom should coexist in peace and harmony.

“Save Baobab Trees!”  “Save the Biodiversity of the Earth!!!”

“Live in Harmony with Nature”