Review of "Tree Of Life: The World of the African Baobab," by Barbara Bash

 Review of

Tree Of Life: The World of the African Baobab, by Barbara Bash, ISBN 0316083224

Five out of five stars

A description of an ecosystem

 The Baobab tree found in the dry savannah of Africa looks like it was planted upside down, the branches look like a root system. For most of the year, the tree is barren, it is only when the rains come that it leafs out and blooms. Mature trees have many hollows that specific species of birds use as their nests. Many insects also make their homes in the Baobab tree, some eat the bark while others eat the leaves. These insects provide food for the birds and snakes.

 When the tree flowers out, bushbabies and fruit bats feast on the sweat nectar and spread the pollen. The flowers open up at night and then the petals fall of in the morning. Range animals enjoy eating the soft petals once they hit the ground. The fruit then develops, and the local baboons have a feast. The local people can usually find nests of honeybees in the tree, they are always careful to leave some honey and beeswax behind so that the colony does not collapse.

 Even when not leafed out or producing fruit, the Baobab tree is a source of raw materials for humans and other creatures, especially elephants. The tree can store water for the humans and elephants in the dry season. With the power of their trunks, the elephants can rip large section of nutritious bark and wood from the tree.

 This description of the complex ecosystem that each Baobab tree is provides a lesson in how complex nature is. It is a worthy addition to elementary school science classes where the topic is ecological interdependence.

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