Context:
New research notes baobabs have survived past extreme climate fluctuations.
Baobabs Trees:
- Long-lived deciduous trees, ranging from 20 to 100 feet tall
- Has broad trunks and compact tops.
- Known as the “upside-down tree” due to their unique appearance.
- Origin predate mankind and the splitting of continents, existing for over 200 million years.
- Distribution – There are 9 species of baobab trees found in the regions of mainland Africa, Madagascar, India and Australia
- In India, they are found abundantly in Mandu in Madhya Pradesh
Features:
- Can live for thousands of years.
- Have very faint growth rings.
- Mature trees have massive, bottle-shaped or cylindrical trunks that taper from bottom to top.
- The fruit is round or oval-shaped and highly nutritious.
- Madhya Pradesh has applied for Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the fruit of the baobab ( or khorasani imli)
- Known as ‘Tree of Life’ as it can
- Store large amounts of fresh water in their trunks.
- Produce nutritious fruits even during dry years, making them vital during water scarcity.
- Challenges – Climate change, habitat loss, and human activities.
Source: Down To Earth
Previous Year Question
In India, in which one of the following types of forests is teak a dominant tree species?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2015 Prelims]
(a) Tropical moist deciduous forest
(b) Tropical rainforest
(c) Tropical thorn scrub forest
(d) Temperate forest with grasslands
Answer: (a)
