South Africa: Baobab Trees Hold Up to 1000 Years of Rainfall Records
University of Pretoria scientists have turned to the giant tree to reconstruct rainfall patterns in the region.
Lead researcher Professor Stephan Woodborne, from the Pretoria University's Mammal Research Institute, said scientists were able to date the trees very accurately using radio-carbon dating.
And because baobabs can grow for over a thousand years, they can provide researchers with a rainfall record spanning centuries.
According to Woodborne, most records of rainfall patterns in South Africa date back to about 50 years, with only a few going back 100 years.
Jackie