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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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