Why is it in the news?

• Recent news highlights the restoration of Madagascar’s baobab forests using Artificial Intelligence (AI), which involves the utilization of satellite footage, algorithms, and remote sensing technology.

About the Madagascar Baobab (Adansonia Madagascariensis)

• The Madagascar Baobab is a tree species known for its impressive characteristics, including giant trunks and an extended lifespan. It is worth mentioning that six out of the world’s eight baobab species are native to Madagascar.
• This species predominantly grows in the Mahajanga and Antsiranana provinces of Madagascar, an island nation located off the southeast coast of Africa.
• It thrives in dense dry deciduous forests on various soil compositions such as limestone, sandstone, gneiss, and also in sub or coastal moist forests on sandy or chalky soil.
• An astonishing fact about the Madagascar Baobab is its longevity, with some trees living for over a thousand years. These trees once flourished across expansive forests throughout the island.
• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species categorizes the Madagascar Baobab as “Least Concern.”

Threats

• Slash-and-burn agriculture is responsible for the annual destruction of 4,000 hectares of baobab forest in Madagascar. This practice involves clearing land by burning it, driven by the extreme poverty experienced by certain communities.
• This destructive farming method significantly contributes to the loss of valuable baobab forest areas.
• Baobab forests also face the challenge of losing large-bodied animals like giant lemurs or giant tortoises, which became extinct approximately 500 years ago. These animals played a crucial role in dispersing the baobab tree seeds through their dung.
• Climate change exacerbates the situation further by causing increased aridity and erratic weather patterns, negatively impacting the growth and survival of baobab trees.