These are the tree graves of Indonesia where dead babies are ‘buried’ inside the trunks of living plants so they can be ‘absorbed’ by nature. The ritual takes place in the regency of Tana Toraja, a remote part of the mountainous region of South Sulawesi.
Dead bodies are buried in the trunks of tree
These are the tree graves of Indonesia where dead babies are ‘buried’ inside the trunks of living plants so they can be ‘absorbed’ by nature. The ritual takes place in the regency of Tana Toraja, a remote part of the mountainous region of South Sulawesi.
Living graveyard on a tree
My connection with trees and 75 goodness of trees
I have a deep connection with the trees and other flora and have been exploring and writing about the flora – The Flags of Paradise. I call the trees as the flags of paradise. I have compiled a very impressive article about the 75 goodness of trees, we know so far but now everyday, new things are coming into my notice and I add accordingly. Here is the link to the article of 75 goodness https://arkbiodiv.com/2020/10/14/71-goodness-of-the-trees-my-deep-ethnoecological-philosophy/amp/
When you see me thrive in your fields, you may wonder if I’m stealing water from your crops. I’m not! my taproots goes down 35-60 meters in search of water. That’s about. the width of one of your football fields! I actually protect your agriculture by acting as a windbreak to slow down dust storms. My roots also stabilize sand dunes, preventing the desert from taking over.
The cineraria is one of the most resilient trees of the desert
Prosopis is evergreen, resilient to harsh weathers, and taller up to a reasonable height
An evergreen tree, grow up to 25m tall; trunk un-branched for several meters; branches droop, giving the canopy a rounded appearance with short triangular spines between leaves nodes; bark is fissured or cracked providing shelter to different insects. The tree is also frost hardy and tolerant of temperatures up to 50 oC.
Prosopis is a desirable food for camels, donkey, and goat – Ensuring food for livestock in challenging climatic conditions
The tree produces leaves during the extremely dry summer months when most other trees are leafless, ensuring food for the livestock in challenging weathering conditions. Leaves are a rich source of food as it contain 13.8% crude protein, 20% crude fiber, and 18% calcium. The pods also provide a good fodder, containing a higher level of crude protein.
The Prosopis cineraria tree produce long pods with black seeds. The seeds are very much liked by camels, goats and insects.
Prosopis cineraria grows longer and longer and reach up to 25 meters.
special and unique leaves of Prosopis cineraria
Prosopis cineraria (Ghaf) in Alain, UAE
Prosopis cineraria grows taller, up to 25 m. In Alain, we can see very tall trees.
Prosopis cineraria, different parts and products
Some very important and basic information about the different aspects of the Prosopis cineraria in the table
No
Particulars
Details available for each particularl
1
Leaves
Grey-green; divided into two pinnae, each with 7-16 pairs of leaflets with pointed tips.
2
Flowers
Flowering twice a year from March to May and from October to January. Tiny flowers on cylindrical spikes. The flowers are valuable for honey production.
3
Pods
Pods cylindrical; slightly curved; yellow to reddish brown. The pods (fruits) form soon after flowering and grow rapidly in size within two months time it reach the full pods size.
3
Food and Ethnobiomedical uses
The people living in the desert eat the young leaves and seed pods. Extracts of leaves used as eye drops; extracts of crushed pods used as ear drops; leaves chewed for toothache. Ashes of burnt bark mixed with water to relieve pain in fractured bones; bark used for rheumatism and also applied to scorpion stings.
4
Bark
The nomads use the bark leather tanning (skins of sheep and goats for using as water and oil containers) and also yields an edible gum.
The details of each particular is provided in details
The insects, birds and other wildlife love to live in Prosopis tree. The honeybee make web here and I found it very often. In the following link, you can see the promotable growth of the tree in the desert and see a big honeybee web. https://youtu.be/pMK5UZ0qA4Y
I’m a deep ethnoecologist, ethnobotanist, and desert explorer. I have learned knowledge from nature and the people. I would love to share my understanding of the trees with the people. I love trees and nature and spend time with nature to heal my soul. Here are the 75 goodnesses of the trees in the following numerical lines.
The famous Thari cattle under the Prosopis tree
The chlorophyl (green power house) in the leaves transform solar energy into chemical energy
Trees provide shade to animals and human being
Cooling of air by transpiration, hence conserve energy costs on cooling
Trees conserve the water, a tree is a huge water reservoir
The fruits we eat come from the trees
Foods other than fruits like leaves, barks, roots, gums, etc come from the trees
Trees bring a diverse group of people together and provide a great social opportunity and unity
Animals’ feed, especially the drylands’ trees with the edible leaves and pods
Nesting opportunities for birds, act as birds sanctuaries
Habitat for insects, rodents, birds, and many other animals as a tree is a colony for them
The trees control and minimize the pressure of the wind storms
Each country has its national tree
Maswak, a traditional mouth brush is made from the trees
Trees protect our skins from the hazardous rays like UV rays
Trees provide excellent beauty to the Ecosystem
Trees act as landmarks on the earth, people, as well as the animals, use the trees as their GPS
Trees provide natural mapping, one can easily map the region with the help of the trees
Strengthening and conservation of soil; the soil is a precious asset on the planet
Trees provide a medium to microorganisms to sustain life and enrich the soil and micro-ecosystem
Trapping and fixing carbon from the air, one of the most important roles in the mitigation of climate change
Provision of oxygen, which is the most common knowledge we know, sustaining life on the earth
With the fragrance of flowers, many communities, and people recognize the species of the tree with the fragrance of the flowers
The fragrance of fruits as an attraction and flavor
Many beauty and fashion products are made from the trees
Tissue papers, wallpapers and other roles are made from the trees
Trees are the subject of fairytales, many fairytales are linked to the trees
Historical background, many trees have a history
Some trees are really the living fossils living for 100s of years
Trees materialize communities to sustain in a specific ecosystem
Trees are involved in the water cycle and a source of rains and attraction of the clouds
Protect coasts and provide habitats to marine life like mangroves forests
Use for furniture, a diverse use for different kinds of home accessories
Handicrafts made from different parts of the tree, like leaves are used for mats and hand fans
Different parts of the trees are used for medicine, like fruits, barks, seeds, flowers, etc
Some trees are used for fiber synthesis, making fabric and other products
Provides food for the silkworm, great human history with the silk trade
Some communities worship the trees, providing meditational opportunities
Some trees are sacred in some religions and have a spiritual connection as their fruits are considered special and unique to other fruits
The trees provide sports and playing opportunities for the kids, many rural sports are played under a tree
Some communities do tree climbing challenges which provide pleasures to the communities
When kid, I found refuge by climbing on a tree to be safe from the furious dog
Trees provide safety in the wars and conflicts
The small ships and boats are made from the wood
Many specialized parts for the beauty of expensive cars are made from the wood, like BMW, etc
Boomerang, an Aussi indigenous tool for defense and hunting made of the wood
Woodcutting and other equipment for cutting crops having woods as an important part
Almost all the agricultural operations tools were made of the wood in the earlier agricultural development
The old hunting tools were mostly composed of the wood
Some weapons of war were always made of the wood like arrows etc
Wood shaving is used for the bedding of the livestock
Some trees provide special oil like Sandalwood and some others
The leaves’ extract of the neem is used as insect repellants
The wood oil extract from the pine tree in Pashtunkhawa of Pakistan and Afghanistan is used for the mange and other skin diseases of the livestock
Making utensils of the trees’ wood, now the precious heritage conserved in many museums
Use wood for art and crafting
Wood is used for the fencing of gardens and livestock barns
Woods are used for making musical instruments
Wood is used for making stationery items, the best example is the pencil
Leisure food items like Chocolates are the products of the tree
Bottles’ corks are made from the tree
Some hair dyes are made from the trees
Waxes are produced from the tree
Tyres and other rubber products are coming from the rubber trees
Sponges, a soft and squishy product like a sponge is made from wood fibers
Chewing gums come from the wood
One of the best honey comes from the trees
Sports equipment like Bats, wickets, etc are made from the wood
The kid’s toys made from the wood are considered as the best and safe
Wood pads are used in the traditional treatment of human and animals’ bone fractures
Trees reduce violence, neighbourhoods that are barren have a greater incidence of violence
Trees and landscaping help to reduce the level of fear
Trees mark the season as winter is no leaves season
Trees also increase the value of a property
Some traditional festivals are connected with the trees plantation like Nawroz
Mental health and Ecotherapy, the trees provide calmness
The earliest evidence of Boomerang in AustraliaProsopis trees deep in the desert of Arabian PeninsulaMy trees’ habitat, here I spend some relax moments and clean the vicinity from plasticsMilk container made from wood, African cultureAuthor in the trunk of an old Mulberry tree in Loralai, BalochistanAn old mulberry treeTrees giving a panoramic view to the desertTrees of Acacia tortillas in the desert
Trees’ graveyard in Indonesia
These are the tree graves of Indonesia where dead babies are ‘buried’ inside the trunks of living plants so they can be ‘absorbed’ by nature. The ritual takes place in the regency of Tana Toraja, a remote part of the mountainous region of South Sulawesi.
Trees goodness are more than 75
I have a deep connection with the trees and other flora and have been exploring and writing about the flora – The Flags of Paradise. I call the trees as the flags of paradise. I have compiled a very impressive article about the 75 goodness of trees, we know so far but now everyday, new things are coming into my notice and I add accordingly.
SUSTAINABLE FARMING FOR FOOD AND HEALTH 