By their very nature elephants are drawn to the bounty of trees and in that thirst and hunger often leave a path of destruction from which one would not expect a renewal could possibly occur. 

Yet emerging from that desvestation it is the elephant, vis-a-vis their nomadic instincts, that contributes to the renewal of the plant life by dispersing the seeds, through their digestive systems, of the very trees that they took down. 

This was witnessed by a visitor to Africa over multiple trips (12) as a stand of mopane trees that a herd of elephants “had mowed down” were coming back from their “three-foot heights”.  Further afield, in another part of the savanna, a new “grassy meadow… created by the elephants” (12) reflected the renewal that was taking place, with the help of the rain and Mother Nature, creating a new stand of mopane trees perhaps?

Now there is a story** (13) that has been told of how a mopane tree has been known to outsmart an elephant. And in that same story** we discover how a clever elephant, in turn, outsmarted that same mopane tree.  

Read on to discover more… 

 

 

 

Gus, The African Plant Hunter: 

“Folks, Gus here, the African Plant Hunter.”

“ I am going to share with you a little fact that you probably did not know – plants communicate with each other! I know it is extraordinary but it is true! And here is some evidence.”

“Okay, behind me these are mopane trees these big beautiful butterfly-leaf shape trees.” 

“Mopane trees are a staple food of elephants. Now, they have a kind of symbiotic relationship with elephants.” 

“They actually need the elephants; it helps them to reproduce. But, of course, they do not want to be completely chowed by an elephant, so they have evolved a defense mechanism.” 

“When an elephant comes along and starts browsing their leaves, the Mopane tree releases a tannin from its roots that goes up into the leaves and makes the plant unpalatable.”

“Remarkably mopane trees are able to communicate the fact that they are being browsed to neighboring trees so that the neighboring trees release the tannins before they are browsed by the elephant.” 

“So, you can quite often see, and you can actually physically see this, when elephants are browsing, they will come to a tree they will start browsing then they move away from it. Then they go to the next tree or they take one mouthful and then they are gone. It does not taste good.

But the way that the mopane trees communicate with each other is using some kind of pheromone. Now, the pheromone is airborne in the wind so they cannot control the direction that it goes in and it will move downwind. 

So what happens is, an elephant comes along, starts browsing on a mopane tree. The mopane tree releases pheromones to say to the other trees around it ‘whoa! We are under attack release the tannin!’“

“Tannin goes into the leaves and then all the trees downwind of there release the tannin and become unpalatable to the elephant.” 

“So what does the elephant do? Well the elephant comes in from a downwind position and starts browsing upwind because the trees cannot communicate with each other upwind.” 

“Pretty pretty remarkable series of little micro adaptations over time! But if ever there was evidence that plants can communicate with each other, this is categorically it!

Thank you for watching that guys.If you don’t know me I am Gus, the African Plant Hunter, and it is my mission in life to try to bring a little bit of awareness and knowledge around African plants to the rest of the world.”

 “If you do know me you’ll probably recognize that I’m wearing a new shirt because it’s 2019 and I think it’s a new year and I get to wear a new shirt!”

“This is gonna be very short because the thunder and lightning is about to come. Alright guys it’s been great talking to you. I’ll catch you later. Thank you! Please subscribe! Bye.”

 Transcribed from cc video “Plant Communication – the Strange Case of the Elephant and the Mopane” By African Plant Hunter (10)

 

 

   

 

Source: (10)

 

 

 

 

 

Gus, The African Plant Hunter:

“Colophospermum mopane. Try saying that when you have had a few toots.  This is the mopane tree. (points to the stand of trees behind him) We are surrounded by them here, very characteristic of the southern African bush.” 

“They grow in these great big groves. Otherwise known as the Ironwood tree it is rock, rock solid. Completely remarkable timber, nothing can eat it, no amount of termites will ever get into it. You try and saw this or or cut it with an axe, (laughs) watch out!”

“It is remarkable for its butterfly shaped leaves which are a feature, my kids used to refer to it as ‘the butterfly tree’.”  

“But at this time of year the most interesting aspect of it is these, (shows Mopane seed pod) the seed pods, because these have got a seed inside where their really distinctive characteristic smell, smells a little bit like pine which is kind of in congress here in the African bush and there is a reason for that.”

“It has a compound in it called alpha pining but it has many other compounds. In northern Namibia an essential oil is made from this which is used in cosmetics and perfumes.” 

“There are many many, many, many medicinal applications for this as well. Perhaps most well-known is its antibacterial properties. This thing (Mopane seed pods) kills bacteria like you wouldn’t believe.  

“I am going to tell you more about mopane but this is just an intro. Call it Mopane 101.” 

“Thanks guys…”

 Transcribed from  “Mopane – the Ironwood Tree” By African Plant Hunter. ( This video was shot on the lower reaches of the Umfurudzi river in north-eastern Zimbabwe.) (11)

 

 

 

 

 

Source (11)

 

 

 

 

 

See next: Elephants and Trees Part 5: Trees Provide More Than a Canopy For Elephants: Ana Trees

 

**It is a cool story by Treelogy which just cannot be replicated. Just copy and past link (13)

 

 

 

 

Images: cc wikimedia by charlesjsharp, elephants enjoying themselves at the mopane tree, see baby close by on the ground (1); cc flickr by krugergirl26 looking up into a tall mopane tree (2) & mopane tree stretching to the sky Kruger Africa (3);cc wikimedia by RogerCulos Colophospermum mopane leaves seed pods & seeds (4); cc flickr by LeonMolenaar, full copyright respected, Kruger South Africa elephant amongst the Mopane Mopani Woodland (5) & Kruger South Africa young elephant amongst the dry scrub Mopane (6) & Kruger South Africa the Mopane Pomegranate flower (Rhigozum Zambesiacum) lasts but a few days (7) & Kruger South Africa Mopane tree leaf (8) & (9)

 

 

 

Sources: 

(1) https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=Colophospermum+mopane&title=Special:Search&profile=advanced

&fulltext=1&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1&searchToken=6hrsjt65yee0zb2qi80k3425h

(2) https://flickr.com/photos/71888644@N00/albums/72157627471747135/with/6114346629

(3) https://flickr.com/photos/71888644@N00/albums/72157627471747135/with/6114346629

(4) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colophospermum_mopane_MHNT.BOT.2015.2.6.jpg

(5)  https://www.flickr.com/photos/leendert3/49781303286/sizes/l/ 

(6) https://www.flickr.com/photos/leendert3/45060465985/sizes/c/ 

(7) https://www.flickr.com/photos/leendert3/14909444767/sizes/l/ 

(8) https://www.flickr.com/photos/leendert3/15147715603/sizes/l/

(9)  https://www.flickr.com/photos/leendert3/51396953032/sizes/l

(10) cc video “Plant Communication – the Strange Case of the Elephant and the Mopane” By African Plant Hunter  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mopane+tree+creative+commons

(11) cc video “Mopane – the Ironwood Tree” By African Plant Hunter https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mopane+tree+creative+commons

(12) https://www.africahopefund.org/elephant-blog/2019/8/16/elephants-and-mopane-trees

(13)  The Elephant and the Mopane Tree – Treelogy  https://medium.com/@treelogyworld/the-elephant-and-the-mopane-tree-a5402c6af702

(14) The Mopane Tree  https://fantasticwildlife.com/the-mopane-tree/

 

 

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