Baobab

1. Description 2. Background Information a. Common Names African Baobab, Baobab, Monkey Bread Tree, Upside Down Tree, Cream of Tartar Tree b. Scientific Name Adansonia digitata L. c. Family Name Bombacaceae 3. Species a. Adansonia digitata L. b. Adansonia Grandidieri c. Adansonia Gregorii d. Adansonia Madagascarcariensis e. Adansonia Perrieri f. Adansonia rubrostipa g. Adansonia suarezensis h. Adansonia za 4. Geographical Distribution/Distribution Range a. Located in Semiarid regions of tropical Africa, including countries south of the Sahara except Liberia, Uganda, Djibouti, Burundi and Central African Republic. . Found in coastal areas of eastern and western Africa c. In East Africa – found in the lowlands 5. Conservation Status 6. Importance and Use a. Leaves b. Fruit c. Food Uses d. Seeds 7. Environmental Characteristics 8. Morphological Traits and Variation a. Characteristics b. Traits c. Genetic Variation 9. Threats 10. Socio-economic Value 11. Environmental Impact 12. E ffects on Indigenous People Adansonias reach heights of 5 to 30 m (16 to 98 ft) and have trunk diameters of 7 to 11 m (23 to 36 ft) †¢ Adansonia digitata L. African Baobab (western, northeastern, central & southern Africa, and in Oman and Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, Asia) †¢ Adansonia grandidieri Baill. – Grandidier's Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia gregorii F. Muell. (syn. A. gibbosa) – Boab or Australian Baobab (northwest Australia) †¢ Adansonia madagascariensis Baill. – Madagascar Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia perrieri Capuron – Perrier's Baobab (North Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia rubrostipa Jum. & H. Perrier (syn. A. fony) – Fony Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia suarezensis H. Perrier – Suarez Baobab (Diego Suarez, Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia za Baill. Za Baobab (Madagascar)[5] Distributional range: Native: †¢ AFRICA Northeast Tropical Africa: Chad; Ethiopia; Somalia; Sudan East Tropical Afri ca: Kenya; Tanzania West-Central Tropical Africa: Cameroon; Zaire West Tropical Africa: Benin; Burkina Faso; Cote D'Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea; Mali; Niger; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Togo South Tropical Africa: Angola; Malawi; Mozambique; Zambia; Zimbabwe Southern Africa: Botswana; Namibia; South Africa – Transvaal Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar Naturalized: †¢ widely naturalized in tropics Cultivated: †¢ AFRICA Africa †¢ ASIA-TROPICAL Indian Subcontinent: Bangladesh; India; Sri LankaMalesia: Indonesia – Java †¢ SOUTHERN AMERICA Caribbean: West Indies South America An Ecosystem Within a Tree The sculptured branches, with their hollows, dents and bloated stems, provide shelter and home for a great variety of animals. Galagos (bushbaby), squirrels, rodents, lizards, snakes and tree frogs, as well as spiders, scorpions and insects may live out their entire life in a single tree. Holes in the trunk provide ideal nesting sites for birds such as rollers, hornbi lls, parrots, kestrels and spinetails. Larger cavities are frequently occupied by families of Barn Owls or Ground Hornbills.Eagles, vultures and storks frequently build their large stick nests on the outer branches, and the colonial nests of Red-billed Buffalo-weavers are more often found in Baobabs than any other tree. Uses to Mankind For centuries, the baobab tree has played an important role in the economy and culture of Africa. Practically every part of the tree is useful and in Sudan they are so highly valued that individual trees may be privately owned! The wood itself is too fibrous for structural use but the bark is shredded into strands of fibre for use as rope, baskets, nets, snares and cloth.Tonics and cosmetics are derived from the roots, and spinach and soup from the large palmate leaves. The seeds may be ground into a coffee-substitute or eaten fresh and the white pulp is used as ‘cream of tartar' for baking. The hollow trunks of living trees have served as homes , storage barns, places of refuge or worship, and even as prisons or tombs. One tree at Katimo Mulilo in Namibia has suffered the rather ignominious fate of having been converted into a flush toilet, while one near Gravelotte in South Africa's Northern Province was once used as a bar where up to a dozen thirsty gold diggers would quench their thirst.The Future Because of its many uses and its ability to survive in semi-arid conditions, the Baobab survives in the face of man's expansion across the continent. Ironically, the tree is probably most at risk in wildlife reserves where confined populations of African Elephant may outstrip their resources and demolish and consume baobab trees in their struggle for survival. [pic] Baobabs are trees recognisable by their distinctive swollen stems. Occurring naturally in the dry areas of Magagascar, Africa and Australia, they store massive amounts of water in their stems to cope with seasonal droughts.The tree's fruits are large pods known as ‘monkey bread' or ‘cream of tartar fruit' and are rich in vitamin C. One baobab tree in South Africa, known as ‘Big Baobab', has a circumference of 47 metres and even a bar for 60 people inside the trunk. 1. The African tribes call the tree â€Å"the upside down tree†. When bare of leaves, the spreading branches of the Baobab look like roots sticking up into the air as if it had been planted upside-down. An African legend tells that the baobab was amongst the first trees to appear on Earth.When the palm tree, the flame tree and the fig tree appeared, the Baobab began to grumble that it wanted to be taller, to have brilliant flame coloured flowers, and bear tasty fruit too. The Gods grew angry at this incessant wailing and pulled up the tree by its roots, and replanted in upside down to keep it quiet! 2. The African baobab tree is also called the â€Å"tree of life† as it can store water during the drought season which is sometimes vital to the rural p opulation. Large baobab trees could contain more than 30,000 gallons of water, and to get to it, Kalahari bushmen use hollow pieces of grass like a straw to suck the water out. . The baobab is Africa's latest fair trade sensation. On the 15th July 2008 the European Union has officially approved the export of powdered baobab fruit to the United Kingdom as a healthy additive to cereal bars and smoothies. The baobab is said to have three times the vitamin C content of an orange, and as much calcium as a glass of milk. According to Britain's University of Southampton, the baobab is rich in vitamin B1, B2, and C, and calcium, plus it's bursting with antioxidants. 4. The citric and tartaric acids found in the pulp provide the base for cream of tartar, often used as a baking ingredient. . Because of their size, people have been storing supplies in old hollow trunks or have been living inside a Baobab Tree. Have a look at a website called â€Å"bigbaob† for some amazing videos. 6. Na tural medicine uses the bark of the Baobab to lower fevers, chewing a leave is apparently waking you up and ingesting some of the tartar powder is helping with stomach aches. 7. In rural Africa the bark is used to make ropes and even clothing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles. com/4214639 Why the Baobab is endangeredSevere droughts of recent years have affected the thorn woodlands of the savannahs and fears have been expressed about the regeneration of plant species. In Sudan the over-use of multipurpose fruit trees, such as the Baobab, has become a significant problem. There is high year-round demand for fruits, even in cities like Khartoum. With fruit being collected from wild stands of trees, stocks are decreasing and no provision is made for replacing these trees – no plantations have ever been seen in Sudan. In cities seeds are just thrown away as garbage, eliminating any chance of regeneration.There is often a lack of awareness by the local people on the need to pla nt, protect and manage under-utilized fruit species. It is believed that in the past the Baobab fruits were widely eaten by large animals, especially elephants. They dispersed seeds and broke the seed dormancy which encouraged regeneration. With elephants now in danger of extinction because of habitat destruction and illegal killing, the natural regeneration of Baobab has been badly affected. Practical Action realized the importance of organizing a campaign to save the endangered species of this region, especially the Baobab tree.What’s the cause? The Baobab tree is on the endangered list for many reasons. For one, droughts within the tree’s habitat have caused them to not have enough water to grow properly. Also, these trees are often cut down so that people can use the trunks to store water in, which can hold about 2376 gallons of water. The fruit is also used for making porridge as well as the leaves, which can be used to make a salad. Some of these seeds are even e aten by elephants, but the elephants would be able to break the seed dormancy which will cause regeneration; however, the population of the elephant is also endangered.Because of all of this, many Baobab trees are used for multiple purposes which then cause the trees population to decline because no one is taking the time to replace the trees that were used. To help regenerate the Baobab Tree, a group known as Practical Action has come about, which aims to save this species of tree before it’s too late. They collect and plant seeds, raise awareness, and encourage others to plant Baobab trees as well. Read more: http://www. toptenz. net/top-10-endangered-trees. php#ixzz2Bkpm44sJ Read more at http://www. toptenz. net/top-10-endangered-trees. php#8rIWSqRUArdUEQt3. 99The food industry is always looking to launch the next big thing Providing these exotic products for Western palates can be both good and bad for the environment. There is the obvious concern of carbon and transporti ng these products over long distances. However, these new markets allow local farmers and suppliers to enjoy newfound wealth. Deforestation, fair trade, and sustainability are other issues. However, the demand for some fruit trees can result in reforestation and afforestation projects. Baobabs,  Adansonia sp. , consist of eight species, which are naturally found on the continents of Africa and Australia.Six species are native to Madagascar, so Madagascar has the highest endemism. Mainland Africa and Australia both have one species. The entire genus is spectacular. The first image below shows the giant  Adansonia grandidieri, which is endemic to Madagascar. This titan-sized tree is considered endangered. Baobabs are trees recognisable by their distinctive swollen stems. Occurring naturally in the dry areas of Magagascar, Africa and Australia, they store massive amounts of water in their stems to cope with seasonal droughts. The tree's fruits are large pods known as ‘monkey bread' or ‘cream of tartar fruit' and are rich in vitamin C.One baobab tree in South Africa, known as ‘Big Baobab', has a circumference of 47 metres and even a bar for 60 people inside the trunk. Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island. A typical common name is baobab. Other common names include boab, boaboa, tabaldi, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree. The generic name honours Michel Adanson, the French naturalist and explorer who described A. igitata. Baobabs (Adansonia spp. ) are iconic trees, known for their immense size, strange forms, sources of food Baobab trees are iconic plants and represent some of the most recognisable trees in the world. The eight species of baobabs reside in the single genus, Adansonia. Madagascar is their centre of divers ity, with six species endemic to the island. These include A. grandidieri, A. madagascariensis, A. perrieri, A. rubrostipa, A. suarezensis and A. za (Baum 1995, Wickens & Lowe 2008) The baobabs are trees of considerable importance in local economies