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Assessing effect of African elephant

(

Loxodonta africana

) on the African

baobab trees

(Adansonia digitata

) of the

Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo

Province, South Africa –

Dellan Steven Khosa

M

apungubwe National Park was created to preserve biodiversity

and cultural heritage in South Africa and is an open system

park with a high population of African Elephant

(Loxodonta

africana)

as well as the iconic baobab tree

(Adansonia digitata)

. The

potential for elephant damage is therefore of concern to South African

National Parks (SANParks). The study was carried out in 2019 to assess

the impact of elephant on baobab in Mapungubwe National Park and

address four questions: 1) to determine the baobab density and spatial

distribution and compare the structure of the baobab population across

the two sections of the Mapungubwe National Park; 2) to determine

whether elephant damage caused death of the baobab trees and the

proportion of baobab mortality between 2005-2009; 3) to determine the

extent of elephant damage (debarking and dieback) within the eastern

and western section, and which size class of the tree is most affected

across the two sections of the park; and finally 4) to determine whether

trees could survive to 2019 if they were 100% debarked in 2005. Results

showed that 8% of baobab trees were found dead in 2019. Moreover, of

18 trees that had 100% debarking in 2005, only one (equal to 6%) was

found dead in 2019. The results furthermore showed that debarking has

increased considerably since 2009. The majority of trees (43%) in 2009

were in Class 2 (1-26% debarked), while in 2019 the majority of trees

displayed 76-100% debarking (45% in Class 5). There is insufficient

evidence to prove that all baobab mortality between 2009 and 2019 was

due to elephant impact. The results suggest that the overall dieback

damage remained minimal whil e debarking damage has increased

between 2009 and 2019.

The changes in cytotoxicity levels in

the corms of

Hypoxis hemmerolicalidea

due to varying rainfall patterns: A study

in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve

– Samkelisiwe Precious Ndlovu

C

hanging climatic conditions are expected to affect the levels of

cell toxicity (cytotoxicity) in plants. To determine the impact rainfall

has on plants (an objective of the study), especially medicinal plants,

12 samples of Hypoxis hemmerolicalidea corms in the reserve were studied

under controlled conditions using different parameters (the flooding effect, the

drought effect and the annual rainfall pattern). It can be concluded that plants tend

to protect themselves in ever-changing climatic conditions; the cytotoxicity levels rise

when conditions are adverse, resulting in creation of a barrier by these plants to save

themselves against destruction. For future studies, anti-microbial, chemical profiling and

phyto-chemistry studies need to be undertaken to determine the effects of varying climatic

conditions on the chemical constituents of medicinal plants.

M U T A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

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