In "The Little Prince", an evil plant called the "baobab tree" is described, and if you let it grow, then it will swallow the entire planet, and the baobab tree here is actually a metaphor.
But what everyone doesn't know is that in reality, there are actually baobab trees.
Baobab among the little princes
This kind of tree that can eat, drink and live, and has a lifespan of up to 5,000 years is very common on the African continent.
Because of its many functions, the mainland has also introduced special cultivation, but it has changed greatly after it was introduced to China.
So, what exactly is a baobab tree? How has it changed since it entered China?
baobab
What is a baobab tree?
Baobab trees have many aliases, such as monkey trees, traveler trees, bobbab trees, etc., and are large deciduous trees of the kapok family and baobab genus.
It is mainly found on the African continent, the island of Madagascar and parts of North America, and tends to grow in hot and dry climates.
Humans with baobab trees
As can be seen from the picture, the trunk of this tree is very thick, and the diameter of the chest can reach more than 15 meters.
In stark contrast, it has a trunk height, but only about 20 meters. In this collocation, the baobab tree is not as tall and slender as other trees, but looks very "short and fat".
The trunk is stout
Of course, we can't "take the tree by appearance", because although the tree does not look good from the outside, and even is said to be an "alien species", the baobab tree itself is very useful.
First of all, the wood of the baobab tree is very loose, which is conducive to water storage.
Therefore, when the rainy season comes, the baobab tree will use its special wooden structure and thick trunk to frantically absorb water, avoiding the "thirst and death" in the dry season.
Therefore, don't always complain that baobab trees are short and fat, people just accidentally "absorb too much water" caused by edema.
The trunk has a strong water storage function
In addition to absorbing water, the fruit of the baobab tree is also edible, and monkeys, orangutans and other animals are very fond of its fruit.
Whenever their fruit ripens, they flock to "dry rice," perhaps because of this, the prefix of their tree name is specifically prefixed with the word "monkey."
The fruit is edible
It is worth mentioning that if you travel to the place where the baobab tree grows, you will find that the baobab tree has also been developed into a "tree house".
In senegal, for example, this country in west Africa is very fond of baobab trees, and has the motif of baobab trees on its national emblem and military epaulettes.
Baobab trees were developed into tree houses
Because baobab trees can grow in harsh environments and provide shelter for people, this selfless spirit and super vitality make locals regard them as "trees of life" or "mother trees".
It should be noted that in the long-term coexistence with humans, the baobab tree has long been developed to the extreme. Its flesh, seeds, leaves and other parts are edible, and its seeds can even replace coffee after roasting.
The data shows that the pulp has a high content of vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, protein and lipids, which can be used as an appetizer and to make fruit juices. The seeds contain a lot of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and other minerals and a lot of lysine.
Powder from the fruit of the baobab tree
In summary, although the baobab tree has a "bucket waist", it is indeed a representative of the "good heart" in nature, and can not only eat, drink and live. This, combined with its longevity characteristics and ability to adapt to hot and dry environments, makes it a "popular tree species to introduce".
However, after the baobab tree arrived in China, it seemed a little unsatisfactory.
baobab
Why is it "unsatisfactory" after the introduction of China?
When we mentioned the high temperature resistance of baobab trees earlier, many people should think of the tropical regions that are also unusually hot on the mainland. Therefore, the scientific research team of Sanya Nanfan Science and Technology Research Institute introduced this plant to China and let it take root in Sanya.
Due to the relatively close environment, baobab trees grow relatively rapidly after entering Sanya, and they begin to bloom in only 2 years, and the branches and leaves are also very prosperous, and there is no obvious leaf fall.
However, the results of the baobab tree are irregular, and its size is greatly reduced.
Baobab trees flourish on the mainland
Judging from the introduction of planting, the baobab tree seems to have "shrunk" after entering the mainland, not only the height of the trunk is not as high as before, but even the thick "bucket waist" has become significantly thinner.
So, why is that? Logically, the soil in the southern part of the continent should be more fertile, and the climatic environment is not as harsh as in Africa.
The problem is precisely in the rainfall, due to the special environment of the baobab tree, which has led to the evolution of soft wood, to ensure that it can absorb the water like a sponge during the rainy season.
However, the southern part of the continent is different from Africa, and there is more rainfall. Therefore, the baobab tree still follows the original "suction method" and may prop itself to death.
The wood is soft and easy to absorb water
So this change is actually a manifestation of its adaptation to the continental environment, and the baobab tree, which grows habitually in hot and arid climates, did not expect to be able to come to such a humid place.
In order not to absorb too much water, it can only make its body smaller.
Of course, although the baobab tree is somewhat "unsatisfactory" on the mainland, it is still no problem to grow. And the people of the continent are not very familiar with baobabs like the people of Africa, so there is no situation to make full use of them.
Therefore, the baobab trees introduced in the mainland are mostly cultivated as ornamental trees in order to popularize this strange-looking but useful tree species to people.
On the continent as an ornamental tree
There are also many propagation methods of baobab trees, which can be propagated by sowing, cuttings and grafting seedlings, the most common of which is seed propagation.
However, if you want to cultivate a baobab tree artificially, you still need to treat its seeds technically, because its seeds are difficult to germinate, and the germination rate is less than 20%.
The common method introduced by experts is to soak the seeds in concentrated sulfuric acid or concentrated nitric acid solution, soak the seeds with pulp in concentrated sulfuric acid for 6 to 12 hours or the pulped seeds soaked in concentrated sulfuric acid or concentrated nitric acid for 15 minutes, and the germination rate can reach 86% to 90%.
Baobab seeds have a low germination rate
So, are baobab trees growing in their natural environments so "squeamish"? If its seed germination rate is so low, shouldn't it be difficult for it to expand its population in the wild?
Animals and baobab trees used to help each other
This brings us to the mutual aid of living beings in nature.
Take, for example, the elephant bird of Madagascar, which is very tall and likes to eat the fruit of the baobab tree. The seeds in these fruits are carried to different areas by elephant birds and reappear as excrement.
Extinct elephant bird
And the elephant bird has actually "processed" the baobab seed in the process of eating and digesting. Its hard seed coat, after being treated with high temperatures in the stomach of an elephant bird, becomes prone to germination.
Unfortunately, this animal, which once brought baobab seeds to various places, became extinct before the seventeenth century.
The current situation of baobabs is not optimistic, and according to research information published in scientific journals in 2018, baobabs are heading for extinction. The tree species, which once thrived on the cracked lands of Africa, is now withering on a massive scale.
Withered baobab trees
Scientists believe that this may be caused by changes in the global climate and human activities, and everyone knows that under the influence of global warming, all regions of the world are inevitably warming.
The fact that baobab trees are tolerant of high temperatures does not mean that they can tolerate higher temperatures as a result, so in this case they will wither.
The second is the decline of other populations in the ecosystem, such as the elephant bird we mentioned earlier.
The successive disappearances of these animals, who act as propagators of baobab seeds, have hindered the expansion of the baobab population, and will not be replenished with new trees until they are green or even endangered.
The impact of individual populations in the ecosystem
Finally, there is the human demand, because the baobab tree itself has various uses, so these years people have been frantically developing, trying to squeeze out its value. In addition to this, the surrounding agricultural production will also affect the growth of baobab trees.
Human demands on it
In general, this kind of tree species that has accompanied human beings through the long years and selflessly contributed is indeed quietly leaving human beings.
So in order not to let the baobab tree also go extinct, humans must do something, such as protecting the environment from now on and paying attention to the population changes of the baobab tree.