On my field trip a few weeks back we went into northern Venda which was very badly struck by the recent floods. Many roads were washed away and people's houses damaged. I came across this uprooted baobab. It was in a sandy area so when the floods washed around its roots it just toppled over! Notice the masses of adventitious tree roots extending horizontally out from the main tuber. Baobabs have a shallow and very wide spreading root system so that they can immediately take up the first rains of the season. Unfortunately, this one got taken out instead!
Dr Sarah Venter
