1 Tahrcountry Musings: African Quiver Tree threatened by Climate Change.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

African Quiver Tree threatened by Climate Change.

The African quiver tree (Aloe pilanssi) is facing threat. The famed desert tree has an iconic status. The tree has been used by generations of African Bushmen to fashion quivers for their arrows. Wendy Foden, a researcher at the South African National Biodiversity Institute said observations at over 50 sites throughout the trees' range in Namibia and South Africa highlighted two disturbing trends, which could clearly be linked to climate change.
1) For populations found on slopes, mortality was much higher at lower elevations than at higher ones -- that is, where it would be warmer on a slope.
2) Higher mortality rates in the north of its range, towards the equator, than those found in the south.
The models worked out by the researcher forecast a 76 percent reduction in its population over the next 100 years,

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