On the vast African continent, there lives a large tree species called Baobab tree . It is currently one of the largest and longest-lived plants in the world. It is said that it can last for up to five years on the earth. With a thousand-year life and abundant resources, it is affectionately called the "treasure tree" by local residents.
However, after the baobab tree was introduced into China, its two unique features disappeared, and even the most basic survival issues became very difficult . Even the baobab trees that survive by chance can only be circulated in the Chinese market as ornamental plants .
So, what kind of magic does the "treasure tree" among Africans have? And why are we so dissatisfied with our country’s ecological environment?
The baobab tree that can eat, drink and live
When many people see this name, they always think that it is a pictographic nickname. In fact, "baobab tree" is the official scientific name of this tree. In Africa, the baobab tree has a long history of growth and evolution, especially in the tropical and subtropical areas in the central part of the continent, where this tree is most densely populated. With the spread of natural factors and man-made factors, baobab trees have also appeared on the island of Madagascar, four hundred kilometers away from the African continent, as well as further north in Australia, the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and parts of North America. .
But only in Africa can the inherent resource value of the baobab tree be utilized to the maximum extent. Local residents even call it the "Tree of Life" .
First, let’s talk about the edible value of baobab tree . Although the name contains the word "bread", this tree only looks similar to it and does not actually produce bread. But even so, the baobab fruit is still a very famous local fruit species. You can imagine that for such a tall tree, its fruits should not be much smaller. As expected, an ordinary baobab fruit is about the size of a football. The flesh is tender and juicy, and the taste is somewhat sour, but it is considered relatively delicious among tropical fruits.
You must know that in relatively backward countries and regions in central Africa, it is already very difficult for poor people to stutter and , let alone be picky about its taste.
In addition to the fruits of the baobab tree, its branches and leaves are also important food sources for African friends. From this perspective, the local people named bread after this tree, which seems to have a rather sad meaning in addition to its superficial appearance.
Don't throw away the shell after eating the fruit. The baobab tree also has equally important resources and economic value . The shell and bark, for example, can be used as raw materials for rope and cloth due to their tough properties. The part of the tree trunk that contains a lot of water can also become an important basic material for local pulp manufacturing. Of course, they also squeezed the edible baobab fruit into juice and sold it as a commodity, vividly explaining what it means to make full use of it reasonably.
There is water in the trunk and water in the fruit. In the African tropics where water is scarce, how about letting the entire baobab tree live as a big house?
This is another important meaning of the baobab tree, the internal development and utilization value of . Because the interior of the baobab tree can store a sufficient amount of water and food, and it also plays a role in cooling down and repelling the heat. Therefore, as long as the safety of treehouse is ensured, not only can local people live temporarily during the dry season when there is little rain, but packaging it into a unique tourism project and opening it to outsiders can also promote the development of the tourism industry.
The reason why the baobab tree is not acclimatized to the soil and environment in China
There is a saying in our country that the soil and water support the people. In fact, this sentence is not just for us humans. Most of the various creatures in nature have difficulty adapting to living environments that are different from their original ones.
Regarding the question of why baobab trees do not grow big in our country, we must first start with the key to all geographical factor analysis - climate . The explanation is actually very simple. China's existing climate type is not completely suitable for the growth of baobab trees. . As for the micro level, we must comprehensively sort out the specific conditions in different regions of our country, and then compare them one by one with the native environment of the baobab tree.
In central Africa, the home of the baobab tree, the climate is basically dominated by savannah and tropical desert . This provides a favorable influencing factor for their survival and evolution, which ultimately led to the current baobab tree's impact on the soil. The requirements are not very high.
Take Tanzania , one of the countries with the largest number of such trees, as an example. Almost all of them are located in the savanna climate zone. The special precipitation pattern with distinct dry and wet conditions makes the local soil very infertile. In this difficult and harsh environment, the baobab tree is still able to grow tenaciously. So in our country, which has been based on farming since ancient times, regardless of east, west, north or south, we can classify it as soil conditions suitable for the survival of the baobab root system.
In my country's East China and South China regions, the Yangtze River Basin and the Pearl River Basin jointly interweave the rich scene of a land of plenty. Among them, Fujian and Guangdong are also among the few provinces in China where baobab trees can be successfully planted and survived. But even so, it can only prove that the temperature and humidity in these places can meet its growth requirements within a certain period of time.
Although baobab trees can adapt to high temperatures and droughts and have a strong ability to retain water, this actually shows that they may not be able to continue to survive in a warm and humid environment. This statement is not contradictory, because the water storage capacity represents the water absorption capacity. Whether it is high humidity or low humidity, the water absorption capacity of the baobab tree remains unchanged.
In other words, the humidity conditions in East and South my country will inevitably lead to problems caused by the baobab tree absorbing too much water. This is like a person who is particularly good at drinking water. Being able to drink and needing to drink cannot be equated. Only a relatively arid climate environment can ensure his survival. If he is allowed to go to a place with abundant water sources, he will undoubtedly lose his life. He was pushed to a dead end.
Of course, any living thing can make changes according to the environment in which it lives. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the baobab tree in China has lost its huge size in Africa and has become smaller in order to absorb less moisture in the high-humidity air.
Since the humidity there is difficult to adapt to, doesn’t China, with its vast territory, have an arid climate similar to the desert grasslands of Africa?
The answer is no. Of course, China also has a corresponding distribution, but it does not have a tropical climate. This is the northwest border of our country, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In the Tarim Basin and Taklimakan Desert in southern Xinjiang, the high temperature and drought in summer are unbearable, but they are exactly in line with the habitat habits of the baobab tree. However, once winter arrives, the temperature here can drop to minus ten degrees Celsius. Not to mention tropical plants such as baobabs, even many broad-leaved forest trees growing in temperate areas have long since withered.
To summarize briefly, in our country, the baobab tree has unsuitable humidity in places where the temperature is suitable, and the temperature does not match the temperature in places with suitable humidity. Therefore, no matter what climate type it is in China, it cannot be completely similar to its native environment in central Africa.
However, relatively speaking, the East and South China areas are more in line with the survival requirements of the baobab tree, so our compatriots can get a glimpse of the general appearance of this African "Tree of Life" without going abroad.
In addition to being uncomfortable with my country's natural climate, there is another factor that cannot be ignored that makes it difficult for baobab trees to survive and grow, and that is the objective technical difficulty of transplanting plants from other places to take root .
Unlike the planting of baobab trees in other parts of the world, the introduction of this tree in our country has nothing to do with natural biological selection, but is an act of artificial grafting and transplantation. This has nothing to do with whether it is a baobab tree or not. Even if it is an ordinary fruit tree, it will be difficult for it to take root in a strange soil if it is changed to a new living environment. Even if the move is successful, its appearance and the fruits it will produce will not be the same. It's also likely to be quite different from the original. This requires the development of biotechnology and transplantation in conjunction with the natural environment.
Having said so much, in the final analysis it is still a matter of alien organisms being acclimated to the environment. In this world, there are invasive creatures that grow unchecked after changing to a new environment. Of course, there are also these creatures that are unwilling to leave their hometown and find it difficult to survive.
No matter which one of the two, it should follow the inner choices of different creatures and the vicissitudes of natural selection, rather than forcefully change it. Human beings have interfered too much with all things that coexist with us. Life that yearns for freedom will find a way out. Maybe one day, you will see some kind of creature at your doorstep that was originally thousands of miles away. It followed nature's choice and traveled across the ocean to come to you.
Author: Kinoshita Yoshito Proofreading Editor: W
