What environmental factor is suggested as a possible reason for the distress of very old Baobabs according to the material?

• A. Climate change
• B. Overgrazing
• C. Flooding
• D. Earthquakes

Answer: (A)

Long-term environmental changes, especially those tied to climate change, are the kind of pressures that can gradually stress very old trees. Baobabs rely on specific patterns of rainfall, temperature, and water availability to maintain their deep root systems and overall health. When climate change shifts these patterns—making droughts more frequent or severe, altering seasonal rainfall, or increasing heat stress—the trees can struggle to take up water, slow their growth, or become more vulnerable to disease and pest pressures. That gradual, ongoing stress fits what’s described as distress in these ancient trees.

Overgrazing tends to impact nearby vegetation and younger saplings more directly, not the already-established, massive old trees that are often less susceptible to grazing pressure. Flooding can harm trees, but Baobabs are adapted to a range of water conditions and are less consistently affected by occasional floods. Earthquakes would cause immediate, localized damage rather than a sustained pattern of distress attributed to environmental change.