DOCSLIB.ORG

GENETIC DIVERSITY and PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS of Adansonia Spp. in the KENYA/TANZANIA TRANSECT

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
GENETIC DIVERSITY and PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS of Adansonia Spp. in the KENYA/TANZANIA TRANSECT UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI. GENETIC DIVERSITY AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF Adansonia Spp. IN THE KENYA/TANZANIA TRANSECT. BY CATHERINE WAMBUI KAMAU I56/71711/2014 Center for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics College of Biological and Physical sciences The University of Nairobi A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Science in Biotechnology in the Center for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (CEBIB) University of Nairobi. November 2016 DECLARATION This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other University. Catherine Wambui Kamau I56/71711/2014 University of Nairobi Signature: ____________________ Date __________________ APPROVED BY This thesis has been submitted for examination with our approval as supervisors Dr. Edward Muge Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi Signature____________________ Date_________________ Dr. George Obiero Director, Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics University of Nairobi Signature____________________ Date_________________ Dr. Alice Muchugi, PhD Genebank Manager, Genetic Resources Unit, World Agroforestry Centre Signature____________________ Date________________ i DEDICATION To my family and dear friend, Louis Njora for their support and encouragement. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I want to thank the Almighty God, in whom I have found the strength, will, health and guidance to make this research a success. To my family and dear friends, I thank you for your love, prayers, encouragement and support. Secondly, I want to acknowledge my supervisors, Dr. Edward Muge and Dr. George Obiero, who have provided me with technical insights, critic and much needed guidance. This work would not have been possible without the support of my supervisor Dr. Alice Muchugi and the World Agroforestry Centre. Thank you so much for offering me this opportunity. I greatly appreciate Robert Kariba-ICRAF for guiding me every step of the way in my lab work and largely influencing the success of this work. I also appreciate Samuel Manthi and Vincent Njunge from ICRISAT for their technical insights and assistance which was pivotal in this work. I am greatly indebted to you all and may the good Lord bless you and give you prosperity in your future endeavors. I also wish to acknowledge my fellow colleagues from the Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics for their much needed suggestions and comments. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................ x ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Problem Statement ............................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Justification of the Study ..................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Research questions ............................................................................................................... 4 1.5 Hypotheses ........................................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Study objectives ................................................................................................................... 4 1.6.1 Main objective .............................................................................................................. 4 1.6.2 Specific objectives ........................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................... 5 LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................................. 5 2.1 Origin and distribution of baobab ........................................................................................ 5 2.2 Floral morphology and pollination of baobab ...................................................................... 6 2.3 Common uses of Adansonia species .................................................................................... 6 2.4 The African species of Adansonia ....................................................................................... 7 2.4.1 The diploid progenitor of A. digitata ................................................................................ 8 2.5 Molecular Markers ............................................................................................................... 9 2.5.1 Microsatellite Markers .................................................................................................... 10 2.6 Phylogenetic inference of the African Adansonia species ................................................. 13 iv CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 17 MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................................................................................. 17 3.1 Study areas and sampling ................................................................................................... 17 3.2 Seed germination ............................................................................................................... 17 3.3 DNA isolation .................................................................................................................... 17 3.4 DNA quantification and quality analysis ........................................................................... 18 3.5 Primer selection and optimization...................................................................................... 19 3.6 ITS Primers used to amplify the ITS region ...................................................................... 22 3.7 PCR amplification of SSRs ................................................................................................ 22 3.8 PCR amplification of ITS region ....................................................................................... 23 3.9 Quantification of PCR products ......................................................................................... 24 3.10 Purification of PCR products ........................................................................................... 24 3.11 Preparation of SSR amplification products for Capillary Electrophoresis ...................... 24 3.12 Microsatellite allele scoring and analysis ........................................................................ 25 3.13 Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) .................................................................... 25 3.14 Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) ............................................................................ 26 3.15 Cluster analysis ................................................................................................................ 26 3.16 Measures of genetic diversity .......................................................................................... 26 3.17 Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) value determination ......................................... 26 3.18 Phylogenetic analysis of the African Adansonia species ................................................. 27 CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................ 28 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 28 4.0 DNA Extraction ................................................................................................................. 28 4.1 SSR Amplification ............................................................................................................. 28 4.2 Allele Scoring .................................................................................................................... 29 4.3 Analysis of Molecular Variance ........................................................................................ 30 4.4 Principal Coordinate Analysis ..........................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • An Updated Review of Adansonia Digitata: a Commercially Important African Tree ⁎ G.P.P
    Available online at www.sciencedirect.com South African Journal of Botany 77 (2011) 908–919 www.elsevier.com/locate/sajb An updated review of Adansonia digitata: A commercially important African tree ⁎ G.P.P. Kamatou, I. Vermaak, A.M. Viljoen Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa Abstract Adansonia digitata L. (Malvaceae) is a majestic tree revered in Africa for its medicinal and nutritional value. The plant parts are used to treat various ailments such as diarrhoea, malaria and microbial infections. It is reported that it is an excellent anti-oxidant due to the vitamin C content which is seven to ten times higher than the vitamin C content of oranges. Baobab has numerous biological properties including antimicrobial, anti- viral, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities amongst others. Phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of flavonoids, phytosterols, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The seeds are a source of significant quantities of lysine, thiamine, calcium and iron. Baobab is an important commodity which is integral to the livelihood of rural communities. In addition, the global demand for baobab raw material (e.g. seed oil, fruit pulp) by the food and beverage, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries has increased dramatically in recent years thereby increasing the commercial value and importance of this coveted African tree. In the past few years, there has been an increased demand for non-timber forest products (NTFPs), specifically baobab seed oil for inclusion in cosmetic formulations due to its high fatty acid composition. This review summa- rises the botanical aspects, ethnobotany, phytochemistry, biological properties and most importantly the nutritional value and commercial impor- tance of baobab products.
    [Show full text]
  • Adansonia Grandidieri
    The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ ISSN 2307-8235 (online) IUCN 2008: T30388A64007143 Adansonia grandidieri Assessment by: Ravaomanalina, H. & Razafimanahaka, J. View on www.iucnredlist.org Citation: Ravaomanalina, H. & Razafimanahaka, J. 2016. Adansonia grandidieri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T30388A64007143. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016- 2.RLTS.T30388A64007143.en Copyright: © 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale, reposting or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission from the copyright holder. For further details see Terms of Use. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership. The IUCN Red List Partners are: BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation International; Microsoft; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; Wildscreen; and Zoological Society of London. If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown in this document, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided. THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED
    [Show full text]
  • Baobab (Not Boabab) Species General Background Germinating
    Baobab (not Boabab) Species Baobab is the common name of a genus (Adansonia) with eightspecies of trees, 6 species in Madagascar; 1 in Africa and 1 in Australia. Adansonia gregorii (A.gibbosa) or Australian Baobab (northwest Australia) Adansonia madaf Zascariensis or Madagascar Baobab (Madagascar) Adansonia perrieri or Perrier's Baobab (North Madagascar) Adansonia rubrostipa or Fony Baobab (Madagascar) Adansonia suarezensis or Suarez Baobab Diego Suarez,(Madagascar) Adansonia za or Za Baobab (Madagascar) The name Adansonia honours Michel Adanson, the French naturalist and explorer who described A. digitata. General Background One of the earliest written references to the Baobab tree was made by the Arabic traveller, Al-Bakari in 1068. In 1592, the Venetian herbalist and physician, Prospero Alpino, reported a fruit in the markets of Cairo as "BU HUBAB". It is believed that the name is derived from the Arabic word Bu Hibab which means fruit with many seeds. Common names include bottle tree and monkey bread tree. Baobab - derived from African fokelore "upside-down-tree". The story is after the creation each of the animals were given a tree to plant and the stupid hyena planted the baobab upside-down. The baobab is the national tree of Madagascar. Height is 5-25m tall and trunk diameter of up to 7m. The Baobab can store up to 120 000 lt of water inside the swollen trunk to endure harsh drought conditions. All occur in seasonal arid areas and are deciduous, losing leaves during dry season. It is believed that the elephant must digest the seed before it will germinate as the heat and stomach acids help to soften the shell.
    [Show full text]
  • Baobab (Adansonia Digitata L.): a Review on a Multipurpose Tree with Promising Future in the Sudan
    Gartenbauwissenschaft, 67 (4). S. 155–160, 2002, ISSN 0016–478X. © Verlag Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.): a Review on a Multipurpose Tree with Promising Future in the Sudan Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.): Ein Überblick über eine vielseitig verwendbare Baumart mit guten Zukunftsaussichten für den Sudan J. Gebauer1), K. El-Siddig2) and G. Ebert1) (1)Institut für Gartenbauwissenschaften, Fachgebiet Obstbau, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany and2)Agricultural Research Corporation, Gezira Research Station, Sudan) Summary staunlich wenig über die Baumphänologie, Blütenbio- Africa has abundant wild plants and cultivated native logie, den Anbau sowie die Diversität bekannt. species with great agronomic and commercial potential In diesem Artikel werden unterschiedliche Aspekte as food crops. However, many of these species, particu- wie Botanik, Ökologie, Herkunft, Vermehrung, Nut- larly the fruits and nuts, have not been promoted or re- zungsmöglichkeiten, Auslese wertvoller Herkünfte sowie searched and therefore remain under-utilized. More- besonders seine Bedeutung für Ernährung und Armuts- over, many of these species face the danger of loss due linderung im Sudan diskutiert. to increasing human impact on ecosystems. Sudan, as in many other African countries, is en- Introduction dowed with a range of edapho-climatic conditions that favor the establishment of many plant species, most of Arid and semi-arid Africa is blessed with various tree, which are adapted to specific ecological zones. Among palm and shrub species which provide shade, give an these plants is the baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) which aesthetic sight, or offer fruits, tannins, gums, resins, oils is a fruit-producing tree belonging to the family Bom- or extracts and pharmaceutical products (STEPPLER and bacaceae.
    [Show full text]
  • The Miombo Ecoregion Areas of Biological Importance
    THE MIOMBO ECOREGION AREAS OF BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE J.R. Timberlake, F.P.D. Cotterill, P.J. Mundy, D.G. Broadley, B. Marshall, A.J. Gardiner & M. Fitzpatrick September 2001 (published 2018) Occasional Publications in Biodiversity No. 21 THE MIOMBO ECOREGION: AREAS OF BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE J.R. Timberlake, F.P.D. Cotterill, P.J. Mundy, D.G. Broadley†, B. Marshall, A.J. Gardiner & M. Fitzpatrick September 2001 (revised February 2018) Occasional Publications in Biodiversity No. 21 Biodiversity Foundation for Africa P.O. Box FM730, Famona, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Miombo Ecoregion: Areas of Biological Importance, page 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The maps were produced at the request of the Southern Africa Programme Office of the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF SARPO) under their Miombo Ecoregion project, funding for which was provided by WWF US. Particular thanks are due to the Regional Representative, Harrison Kojwang, and to the Programme Officer, Fortune Shonhiwa, who ran the project. We also wish to thank Heather Whitham in the Biodiversity Foundation for Africa for administrative support. The GIS versions of the maps, originally drawn manually, were digitised at the University of Botswana's Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre in Maun, Botswana, with financial support from Conservation International through their Wilderness Programme. Particular thanks are due to Mike Murray-Hudson and Leo Braak for making this possible. Final GIS maps were designed, drawn and checked by Ed Lim (Eastbourne, UK). Each map was compiled by a BFA specialist, with the
    [Show full text]
  • Ngwedi Substation Ground Truthing for Environmental Management Plan
    Ngwedi Substation Ground Truthing for Environmental Management Plan by Samuel David Laurence Ecologist [email protected] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An Environmental Management Program (EMPR) was carried out between the proposed Ngwedi (Mogwase) Substation and associated transmission power line turn-ins in August 2012. The focus of the study was on-site substation specific verification as well as overall habitat assessment On site mitigation measures were provided.. Identified protected trees for the area include Maroela, Tamboti, Baobab, Leadwood, Camel Thorn and Sheppard Bush. No protected species were found within the substation footprint. The substation footprint is situated on an area of low sensitivity. However, peripheral activities such as road construction need to take into account surrounding sensitive habitats. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Terms of Reference ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Location and Land use ..............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Zambia and Zimbabwe 28 Ovember – 6 December 2009
    Zambia and Zimbabwe 28 ovember – 6 December 2009 Guide: Josh Engel A Tropical Birding Custom Tour All photos taken by the guide on this tour. The Smoke that Thunders: looking down one end of the mile-long Victoria Falls. ITRODUCTIO We began this tour by seeing one of Africa’s most beautiful and sought after birds: African Pitta . After that, the rest was just details. But not really, considering we tacked on 260 more birds and loads of great mammals. We saw Zambia’s only endemic bird, Chaplin’s Barbet , as well as a number of miombo and broad-leaf specialties, including Miombo Rock-Thrush, Racket-tailed Roller, Southern Hyliota, Miombo Pied Barbet, Miombo Glossy Starling, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Pennant-winged ightjar, and Three-banded Courser. With the onset of the rainy season just before the tour, the entire area was beautifully green and was inundated with migrants, so we were able to rack up a great list of cuckoos and other migrants, including incredible looks at a male Kurrichane Buttonquail . Yet the Zambezi had not begun to rise, so Rock Pratincole still populated the river’s rocks, African Skimmer its sandbars, and Lesser Jacana and Allen’s Gallinule its grassy margins. Mammals are always a highlight of any Africa tour: this trip’s undoubted star was a leopard , while a very cooperative serval was also superb. Victoria Falls was incredible, as usual. We had no problems in Zimbabwe whatsoever, and our lodge there on the shores of the Zambezi River was absolutely stunning. The weather was perfect throughout the tour, with clouds often keeping the temperature down and occasional rains keeping bird activity high.
    [Show full text]
  • ANALYTICAL CHARACTERIZATION of ADANSONIA DIGITATA L. SEED OIL GROWN in the SIND REGION of PAKISTAN Muhammad Ayaz, Ghazala
    Int. J. Drug Res. Tech. 2014, Vol. 4 (4), 55-61 ISSN 2277 - 1506 International Journal of Drug Research and Technology Available online at http://www.ijdrt.com Original Research Paper ANALYTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ADANSONIA DIGITATA L. SEED OIL GROWN IN THE SIND REGION OF PAKISTAN Muhammad Ayaz, Ghazala. H. Rizwani, Huma Shareef*, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and Tayyaba Mumtaz Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan ABSTRACT Adansonia digitata L. (Malvaceae) is a one of the universal remedial plant having great medicinal and nutritional value. In this study we used fruit (seed and pulp) of this plant and evaluate its proximate composition, mineral and amino acid content. Seed oil analyzed for its fatty acid profile, sterol composition and tocopherol contents. All examined results are very promising and meet the recommended dietary allowances requirement. The present study of fruit of baobab could be the helpful in developing the new nutraceuticals from the region of Pakistan. Keywords: Adensonia digitata, Fruit, Amino acid, Fatty acids. INTRODUCTION Malvaceae family consists of 88 genera and 2300 lipids.5 Different biological and pharmacological species, distributed in tropical, subtropical and activities have been demonstrated from the leaves, temperate regions. Out of these only 19 genera root, stem, bark and seed and fruit pulp including and 94 specific and infra specific taxa are located antimicrobial, antinsecticidal, antioxidant in Pakistan.1 Genus Adansonia have numerous antiviral, and analgesic, antipyretic, anti- resourceful plants including Adansonia inflammatory and hepatoprotective.6 As a part of digitata Linn., which is widely distributed under developed country we have facing the throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Western problems regarding the cheap and good quality Madagascar and Asia.2 Commonly it is known as healthy food therefore we were search for natural Baobab or monkey-bread tree while in local origin food which can easily be reach to the every language it is known as Gorakh-imli.
    [Show full text]
  • The Birds of the Dar Es Salaam Area, Tanzania
    Le Gerfaut, 77 : 205–258 (1987) BIRDS OF THE DAR ES SALAAM AREA, TANZANIA W.G. Harvey and KM. Howell INTRODUCTION Although the birds of other areas in Tanzania have been studied in detail, those of the coast near Dar es Salaam have received relatively little recent attention. Ruggles-Brise (1927) published a popular account of some species from Dar es Salaam, and Fuggles-Couchman (1939,1951, 1953, 1954, 1962) included the area in a series of papers of a wider scope. More recently there have been a few other stu­ dies dealing with particular localities (Gardiner and Gardiner 1971), habitats (Stuart and van der Willigen 1979; Howell 1981), or with individual species or groups (Harvey 1971–1975; Howell 1973, 1977). Britton (1978, 1981) has docu­ mented specimens collected in the area previous to 1967 by Anderson and others. The purpose of this paper is to draw together data from published reports, unpu­ blished records, museum specimens and our own observations on the frequency, habitat, distribution and breeding of the birds of the Dar es Salaam area, here defi­ ned as the portion of the mainland within a 64-km radius of Dar es Salaam, inclu­ ding the small islands just offshore (Fig. 1). It includes Dar es Salaam District and portions of two others, Kisarawe and Bagamoyo. Zanzibar has been omitted because its unusual avifauna has been reviewed (Pakenham 1979). Most of the mainland areas are readily accessible from Dar es Salaam by road and the small islands may be reached by boat. The geography of the area is described in Sutton (1970).
    [Show full text]
  • A Preliminary Herpetological Survey of the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula, Vilankulo, Mozambique
    Herpetology Notes, volume 3: 181-193 (2010) (published online on 31 May 2010) A preliminary herpetological survey of the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula, Vilankulo, Mozambique Niels H.G. Jacobsen1*, Errol W. Pietersen2 & Darren W. Pietersen3 Abstract. This paper reports on and discusses the findings of a herpetofaunal survey of the San Sebastian Peninsula, Vilankulo, Mozambique. A total of 39 reptile and 20 amphibian species were recorded including new records for Mozambique, range extensions and taxa previously considered endemic to the Bazaruto Archipelago. Keywords. Herpetofauna, San Sebastian Peninsula, Vilankulo, Mozambique. Introduction These islands form a northward extension of the San Sebastian Peninsula. The herpetofauna of Mozambique is still relatively A survey of the herpetofauna of the San Sebastian poorly known, especially when compared to the rest of Peninsula was undertaken as part of a larger study of southern Africa. The most recent accounts are those of the vegetation and fauna to assess the conservation Broadley (1966a, 1983), Poynton & Broadley (1985a, importance of the area. b, 1987, 1988) and Channing 2001. In addition, it appears that some early records have been overlooked The Study Site in museum collections. Apart from these, most The San Sebastian Peninsula lies south-east of the recent records often emanate from scant, sporadic town of Vilankulo, forming the mainland extension of or opportunistic collecting (Downs & Wirminghaus the Bazaruto Archipelago which includes Margaruque, 1990). As a result there is a void in our knowledge, Benguera, Bazaruto and Santa Carolina islands (Fig. 1). which also complicates the interpretation of species’ The Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary (VCWS) distributions and even the taxonomic status of some lies along the peninsula between 22.0833 and 22.3500° species.
    [Show full text]
  • Pinpointing Baobab (Adansonia Digitata [Linn. 1759]) Population Hotspots in the Semi‐Arid Areas of Tanzania
    Received: 31 January 2019 | Revised: 25 September 2019 | Accepted: 18 October 2019 DOI: 10.1111/aje.12709 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Pinpointing baobab (Adansonia digitata [Linn. 1759]) population hotspots in the semi‐arid areas of Tanzania Upendo L. Msalilwa1,2 | Linus K. Munishi1,2 | Edna E. Makule2,3 | Patrick A. Ndakidemi1,2 1Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Abstract Management, The Nelson Mandela African The impact of unsustainable land-use conversions, changes in climate and anthropo- Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania genic activities on abundance and distribution of baobab populations was assessed 2Centre for Research, Agricultural in semi-arid regions of Tanzania. Baobabs were sampled in plots of 1 km long and a Advancement, Teaching Excellence and 50 m wide, which were carried out in 337 grids located in different land-use types. Sustainability (CREATES) in Food and Nutrition Security, The Nelson Mandela Transects for each land-use type were located using a stratified random sampling African Institution of Science and technique to compare baobab population variations and occurrences in semi-arid Technology, Arusha, Tanzania 3Department of Food and Nutritional areas of Tanzania. Baobab density was found to be highest in strictly protected areas Sciences, The Nelson Mandela African and the lowest density in unprotected areas, suggesting that anthropogenic activi- Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania ties coupled with local management practices within land-uses may be influencing its viability in semi-arid areas. In species like this, with less and slow recruitment rate, it Correspondence Upendo L. Msalilwa, Department of takes a long time to bring the population to recovery when substantial disturbance Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity, and and overutilisation have reduced the populations to certain levels.
    [Show full text]
  • Adansonia Gregorii Tree Information
    There are only eight species of Adansonia known throughout the world. Six are indigenous to Madagascar, with one species native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where they are known as the Baobab, and one in Australia. Adansonia gregorii, the Australian Boab tree, is found only in the Kimberley and western Victoria Region of the Northern Territory. Large mature semi-succulent trees of Adansonia gregorii, Boab or Baobab trees are ideal for Semi Desert and also for Equatorial climates. These water storing trees come from our harsh dry sub-tropical area in The Kimberley Region of Western Australia. The habitat climate is a Monsoonal wet and dry season with 5 to 7+ months of wet season depending on geographic location. The temperatures range from highs of 48°c+ in the wet build-up season with humidity levels in the high 90% for months on end. They can also experience the occasional low temperatures of just above freezing at times in the dry season. The extreme growing conditions experienced by these amazing Boab trees:- • They grow in a wide range of soils from deep sandy to clay soils, in rocky habitats in valleys and rocky hills to 1500m+ • In and around freshwater swamps, streams and rivers sometimes with their root systems being submersed in deep water for months on end without any ill effect • On the edge of brackish water bodies and salt marshes and tidal salt flats just above high tide mark - in some cases receiving salt water inundation during tropical storms and extra high king tides and Cyclones • They also grow in soils with salt contents higher that most plants can withstand The waxy feeling skin/bark of the Boab will also adapt to extremely hot sunlight conditions in the dry season when it may shed all of its leaves (depending on whether the tree is growing in dry or moist situation).
    [Show full text]