Sponsored by multi-award wildlife photographer Vincent Munier, the Socotra dragon blood tree association aims for the protection of the dragon blood tree and the development of the access to safe drinking water.
We now have the opportunity to develop a nursery of 300 dragon trees in Firmihin, thus contributing to the preservation of this exceptional endangered tree.We also want to include actions of environmental education in this project.
But to make it possible, we need your support !
Located in the Gulf of Aden, the archipelago of Socotra is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for the exceptional character of its biodiversity and its endemism rate: 37% of the 825 species of plants, 90% of the reptile species and 95% of the land snail species cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The island is home to bird populations important at the worldwide level (192 species, 44 of which breed on the islands and 85 of which are regular migrants), including some endangered species.
The marine life of Socotra is also very diverse, with 253 species of reef-building corals, 730 species of coastal fish and 300 species of crabs, lobsters and shrimps.
Among these endemic species, there is a particularly exceptional one: the dragon tree of Socotra, emblematic of the island.
On the
Diksam
plateau and in
Firmihin
lay huge forests of dragon trees.
One of the most amazing species on our planet, this endemic tree grows between 150 and 1600 m of altitude and surprises by its silhouette: indeed, it looks like a giant mushroom. Its leaves grow at the tip of its branches and point to the sky, allowing it to absorb moisture from the air, on an island where drought periods intensify year after year.
The tree produces a red resin - earning its name of dragon-blood tree -, which is used in traditional medicine as a remedy against all evils!
But today, the inhabitants, as well as scientists, are worried about the future of the dragon tree. These trees are decimated by increasingly intense storms, while young plants are swallowed by goats.
If nothing is done, all will have disappeared in just a few decades!
Firmihin is estimated to have about 28,000 adult trees between 500 and 1000 years old. In 2015, 4,200 specimens were uprooted by the cyclones Megh and Chapala, or 13% of the forest ! A study published in the magazine Forest in 2020 predicts that the Socotra dragon tree could lose up to 45% of its habitat by 2080.
Saving the dragon tree of Socotra also means saving an entire ecosystem composed of many endemic species!
New research by a team of researchers from Socotra, Spain and Portugal suggests that the tree could be considered an umbrella species, providing food and shelter for at least 12 of Socotra’s endemic reptile species, including 10 geckos, a chameleon and a snake. As the researchers (Forests magazine) point out, dragon tree forests are in urgent need of protection!
The Socotra dragon tree creates shade, freshness and dew for animals and insects, and is a refuge for nests of bird species endemic to the island, such as the Socotra buzzard, the Socotra starling, the Socotra bunting, the Socotra warbler, Socotra sunbird, Socotra’s white-eye…
Aware of the importance of protecting their tree, the Socotra dragon blood tree association is mobilizing and will create a new nursery of 300 plants in Firmihin to allow the growth of young dragon trees, protected from the goats’ voracious appetite.
The fact is that the tree grows very slowly : it takes over 10 years for the tree to reach one meter tall. The dragon tree’s protection must be thought of over generations !
To do so, we will have to set up an efficient irrigation system to supply the nursery with water, and build fences to protect the dragon trees from goats.
We also want to implement environmental education actions for children, who are the guarantors of the dragon tree’s survival in the future!
