Namibia's Signature Tree, The Quiver - Giant Aloe Species - Dying In Large Numbers; Now Red-Listed

[hatrack]

An old man gently touches the trunk of the huge quiver tree with a worried look on his wrinkled face, as he points at several dead branches lying on Namibia's rugged terrain. "When I was a boy, my grandfather made my first quiver from a branch of this old tree about seventy years ago, but I fear the tree is dying -- too many dead branches. Things changed over the past few years, and these trees just die," he tells AFP.

Aaron Kairabeb works on a farm 200 kilometres (125 miles) southeast of Namibia's capital Windhoek, where tourists go on scenic hikes and also view a cluster of the giant aloe trees that can live for more than 300 years.

They grow in arid regions of Namibia and South Africa and are well adapted to their environment through water-storing succulent leaves and shallow root systems. The Bushman or San people used to make quivers for their bows from the trees' dead branches. But over the past few years Kairabeb, who grew up in the area, noticed that large quiver trees -- protected in Namibia and by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) -- were drying out and toppling over.

Scientists found this is most likely caused by drought, with weather data showing that average temperatures have increased over past decades across the tree's range. The quiver tree is now red-listed in a report released by the Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) during last month's climate summit in Copenhagen.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Namibias_landmark_quiver_trees_dying_from_climate_change_999.html

[Jamastiene]

1. I wish I had some kind of resources to try to help save the aloes.

I once had an aloe plant that lived 11 years and made me a new baby aloe plant every year. The 11 year old healed many of my cuts and burns and made winter more bearable. I got attached to it almost like a pet.

I understand it is not the same species of aloe, but still..aloe is a true wonder of the world in my book.

[tabatha]

2. Plants cannot adapt easily and move

but, there is some good news

"The largest and the most southernly colony of Aloe dichotoma ... one of South Africa's giant aloes, occurs approximately 25km from Nieuwoudtville" where there is better rainfall.

I hope the plant can at least survive in this colony and possibly follow the rain.

[On the Road]

3. That is a Shame

They are beautiful. Hope they can rebound.