Researchers have challenged African countries to tighten biosecurity protocols and support research to save baobabs after it emerged that killer beetles are killing trees in neighbouring continents.
The researchers undertook a study to understand why several baobabs have recently collapsed and died in the Middle East.
The results showed that the trees were not just dying from disease, drought, or old age, but from infestation by the mango-stem borer, an aggressive beetle.
The findings of the study were published in Science Direct.
“Our findings have important implications for the conservation and management of baobabs throughout Africa. The mango-borer beetle has not been found in mainland Africa yet, but it may become a new threat to baobabs if it disperses.” Said Sarah Venter, a Baobab Ecologist from the University of the Witwatersrand
Of the 91 baobab trees that were surveyed in Oman, the researchers found that six had been killed by the beetle. The beetle’s larvae infested a further 12 baobab trees.
“This is the first time that an insect has been found to kill adult baobab trees. The same beetle is known to damage and kill other species of trees,” Venter wrote in theconversation.com
“Our findings allow for early detection as well as research into effective ways to control the beetle before it spreads to Africa,” she said.
Although the mango stem-borer is native to Southeast Asia, researchers are concerned that if the mango stem-borer were to reach mainland Africa, where the baobab is considered a keystone species, it could be devastating to livelihoods.
And now they want African countries to be stringent in biosecurity regulations to avoid the beetles reaching over the continent.
“Collaboration between research institutions, agricultural departments and the baobab industry will also help: sharing data, testing biological controls and setting up monitoring systems before further outbreaks occur,” the researcher noted.
She added, “The death of baobabs in Oman is more than a localised problem. It’s a warning of what could happen elsewhere if the beetle spreads unchecked.”
The African baobab is the biggest and longest living flowering plant that can live up to 2,500 years. Locally, baobabs, which grow in the Coastal region, have over 300 uses. Their leaves are rich in iron, while seeds can be roasted to make a coffee substitute or pressed to make oil for cooking or cosmetics.
Seeds are also used in making Mabuyu, a type of snack that is common in the coastal regions. Its fruit pulp is used to make juice, jam, or fermented to make beer. The young seedlings have a taproot that can be eaten like a carrot. The flowers, too, are edible. The roots can also be used to make red dye, and the bark can be used to make ropes and baskets.
Besides its economic uses, baobabs are key to the environment, especially in the dry African savannas. The trees keep soil conditions humid and prevent soil erosion.
