Dead and Dying Baobab Trees in Africa: Globally Warmed Climate Change?

Summary: Two researchers in South Africa, two in the United States and three in Romania find globally warmed climate change behind baobab casualties in Africa.

Chapman's Baobab, which suddenly collapsed in January 2016, now numbers among Africa's dead giant trees: Botswana Tourism @BotswanaTourism, via Twitter Aug. 20, 2012

Nine of the 13 biggest, most iconic, oldest, toughest of the world's baobab trees are dead or dying, according to an article in the online scientific journal Nature Plants June 11, 2018.

Twelve years of research beginning in 2005 back up the article The Demise of the Largest and Oldest African Baobabs for the journal's Brief Communication section. Aging and analyzing 60-plus specimens and autopsying four call up abiotic (environmental, non-living) causes for researchers in Massachusetts and Virginia and in Romania and South Africa. Not one of the four dead and five dying baobabs displayed damage, decay, decline or demise from biotic (living) causes, such as disease, parasitism and predation.

Climate change explanations emerge for Adrian Patrut and co-authors Roxana Patrut and Laszlo Rakosy, Grant Hall and Stephen Woodborne and Daniel Lowy and Karl von Reden.

Lead author and researcher Adrian Patrut, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty member at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, found only broken cavity walls and toppled stems.

Financial support from the Romanian Ministry of National Education and the Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation got the Patrut team to Africa's grassy, woody savannahs. Researchers had clinometers and laser rangefinders, increment borers and radiocarbon systems for height and girth 1.30 meters (4.26 feet) above ground level; wood samples; tree ages. They indicated the practical, versatile applicability of their "new approach, which is not limited to fallen specimens, but allows live specimens to be investigated and dated."

The article joins girth, height and volume measurements with calculated, radiocarbon and sample ages for the two biggest, four biggest and oldest and nine oldest baobabs.

The seven researchers kept Grootboom of Nyae Nyae Conservancy, Namibia, southern Africa, in the chart even though they knew the "great tree" as a dead specimen.

The four-page article lists among the dead the Pamke, the Dorslandboom, the Glencoe tree, the Chapman baobab, the Makulu Makete Big baobab and the Platland or Sunland tree. They mention among the extant 15 superlative baobabs the Humani Bedford Old baobab, the Matendere Big baobab, the Luna tree, the Lebombo Eco rail baobab and the Sagole Big tree. The note the Holboom as having several stems and cavity walls broken off since 2012.

The study's chart observes the Makuri Leboom as with several old stems toppled and/or broken off.

The Lundu baobab presents several stems and cavity walls broken off since 2014.

The study quantifies the participating baobabs at five in South Africa, four in Namibia, three in Zimbabwe and one each in Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia. The research reveals that "These deaths were not caused by an epidemic." The researchers state that "there has also been a rapid increase in the apparently natural deaths of many other mature baobabs."

The seven researchers turn to the suggestion that "the demise of monumental baobabs may be associated at least in part with significant monumental modifications of climate conditions that affected southern Africa in particular."

In 2009, the Glencoe Baobab's main old part split and died; Glencoe Farm, near Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province, northern South Africa: Alex & Juanita Aitkenhead Photography @Alex.Juanita.Photography, via Facebook Oct. 26, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Chapman's Baobab, which suddenly collapsed in January 2016, now numbers among Africa's dead giant trees: Botswana Tourism @BotswanaTourism, via Twitter Aug. 20, 2012, @ https://twitter.com/BotswanaTourism/status/237574437669568513

In 2009, the Glencoe Baobab's main old part split and died; Glencoe Farm, near Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province, northern South Africa: Alex & Juanita Aitkenhead Photography @Alex.Juanita.Photography, via Facebook Oct. 26, 2016, @ https://www.facebook.com/Alex.Juanita.Photography/photos/a.10153807179246640.1073741850.16499661639/10153814744431640/

For further information:

Agence France-Presse. 11 June 2018. "Giant African Baobab Trees Die Suddenly After Thousands of Years." The Guardian > Africa.
Available @ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/11/giant-african-baobab-trees-die-suddenly-after-thousands-of-years

Alex & Juanita Aitkenhead Photography @Alex.Juanita.Photography. 26 October 2016. "Glencoe baobab on the Glencoe farm in Hoedspruit Limpopo." Facebook. Album Champion Trees of South Africa.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/Alex.Juanita.Photography/photos/a.10153807179246640.1073741850.16499661639/10153814744431640/

"Baobab." Siyabona Africa > Kruger Park.
Available @ http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_baobab.html

Botswana Tourism @BotswanaTourism. 20 August 2012. "#BotswanaFact: Chapman's Baobab - a 4,000-year-old tree in the Kalahari Desert -- is the 3rd largest tree in Africa." Twitter.
Available @ https://twitter.com/BotswanaTourism/status/237574437669568513

Cuní Sanchez, Aida. 14 June 2018. "Baobab Trees Have More Than 300 Uses But They're Dying in Africa." The Conversation > Environment + Energy.
Available @ https://theconversation.com/baobab-trees-have-more-than-300-uses-but-theyre-dying-in-africa-98214

Drake, Nadia. 11 June 2018. "Africa's Oldest Trees Are Dying, and Scientists Are Stumped." National Geographic > News.
Available @ https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/oldest-tress-africa-baobabs-dead-climate-science/

Le Roux, Mariëtte. 11 June 2018. "'Shocking' Die-Off of Africa's Oldest Baobabs: Study." France 24.
Available @ http://m.france24.com/en/20180611-shocking-die-off-africas-oldest-baobabs-study

Marriner, Derdriu. 6 December 2013. "Australian Baobab Botanical Illustrations and Images Down Under." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/12/australian-baobab-tree-botanical.html

McDonnell, Tim. 11 June 2018. "Why Are Some of Africa's Biggest Baobab Trees Dying Off?" National Public Radio, Inc > Goats and Soda Stories of Life in a Changing World > Environment.
Available @ https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/06/11/616085781/why-are-some-of-africas-biggest-baobab-trees-dying-off

Miley, Jessica. 14 June 2018. "Death of Ancient Baobab Trees Suspected to be Caused by Climate Change." Interesting Engineering > News.
Available @ https://interestingengineering.com/death-of-ancient-baobab-trees-suspected-to-be-caused-by-climate-change

Nuwer, Rachel. 12 June 2018. "Last March of the 'Wooden Elephants': Africa's Ancient Baobabs Are Dying." The New York Times > Science.
Available @ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/science/baobabs-climate-change-drought.html

Patrut, Adrian; Stephen Woodborne; Roxana T. Patrut; Laszlo Rakosy; Daniel A. Low; Grant Hall; and Karl F. von Reden. 11 June 2018. "The Demise of the Largest and Oldest African Baobabs." Nature Plants. doi.og/10.1038/s41477-018-0170-5
Available @ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-018-0170-5.epdf

Thompson, Avery. 13 June 2018. "The World's Ancient Baobab Trees Are Dying, And We Don't Know Why." Popular Mechanics > Science > Environment.
Available @ https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a21291677/ancient-baobab-trees-dying/

van Wyk, Braam; and Piet van Wyk. 2013. Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Second edition, fully revised. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Nature.

Yong, Ed. 11 June 2018. "Trees That Have Lived for Millennia Are Suddenly Dying." The Atlantic > Science.
Available @ https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/06/baobab-trees-dying-climate-change/562499/?single_page=true