Madagascar’s iconic baobab trees, with their towering trunks and delicate canopies, stand as sentinels of a bygone era. Yet their very existence defies ecological expectations. These trees, believed to rely on the now-extinct giant tortoises and lemurs to disperse their seeds, should have vanished alongside their ancient companions. Instead, they endure, thanks to some unexpected allies.
Recent research has revealed that small, unassuming creatures like the tuft-tailed rat and the introduced bush pig are unceremoniously helping ensure a future for the baobabs. Scientists led by Seheno Andriantsaralaza found that these animals have taken on the role of dispersers, spreading seeds across the Malagasy landscape.
Camera traps captured tuft-tailed rats handling fallen baobab fruits, likely stashing seeds in underground caches. Forgotten seeds occasionally sprout far from the parent tree, where they are less vulnerable to herbivores and competition. Meanwhile, bush pigs, introduced to Madagascar centuries ago, have also become unwitting stewards. Seeds that pass through their digestive tracts emerge intact and primed to germinate, aided by the nutrients in the pigs’ dung.
This serendipitous partnership between baobabs and their diminutive allies underscores the complex dynamics of ecosystems altered by human activity. It also challenges the notion that introduced species are uniformly detrimental. Bush pigs, often seen as pests, have proved indispensable to the baobab’s survival.
Yet the trees face new threats, including deforestation and overharvesting of their fruit. Conservationists are calling for sustainable practices to protect both baobabs and the intricate web of relationships that sustain them. The tale of Madagascar’s baobabs and their unexpected guardians is a reminder of nature’s resilience—and of humanity’s role in shaping, for better or worse, the fate of the world’s ecosystems.
📰 — How bush pigs saved Madagascar’s baobabs. The Economist. Sep 18th 2024.
🔬 Andriantsaralaza et al (2024). Seed dispersal of Madagascar’s iconic baobab species, Adansonia grandidieri. Biotropica. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13373
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The unexpected saviors of Madagascar’s baobabs: Did an introduced species save the island’s baobabs from extinction?
