Scientists Wanted to Understand How Baobab Trees Live for Thousands of Years. Then the Ancient Trees Started Dying.
The culprit is still unknown — and at large
By Neel V. Patel
Baobabs are an iconic part of the sub-Saharan landscape in Africa. Wielding gnarled branches that can spiral up to nearly 100 feet into the air, and with bloated trunks that send out branches spanning an average of 65 feet all together, the baobab is a vital part of the region’s ecology and a celebrated staple Africa’s culture. And like most celebrated parts of the natural world, the baobab suddenly finds itself threatened in modern times.
The oldest African baobabs (between 1,100 and 2,500 years old) are dying abruptly, according to a new survey of the species published Monday in Nature Plants. The numbers are grim: 8 of the 13 oldest and 5 of the 6 largest trees on record have died or experienced deterioration over the past 12 years.
The culprit is still unknown — and at large.
“Baobabs are peculiar trees, with unique architectures, remarkable regeneration properties and high cultural and historic value,” says lead author Adrian Patrut, a chemist Babes-Bolyai University in Romania. “They’re the oldest and largest angiosperms. The impact of their loss would have…
