Quiver Tree Forest, Namibia

Quiver Tree Forest, Namibia

forest namibia Nature quiver tree

The Quiver Tree Forest is located about 14 km north-east of the town of Keetmanshoop, on the road to the small village of Koës, in southern Namibia. Here grows, on a private farm, about 250 specimens of the quiver tree, or aloe dichotoma, which is a tall, branching species of aloe, indigenous to the Northern Cape region of South Africa, and parts of Southern Namibia. The unusual look of aloe dichotoma has made this area a popular tourist attraction.

The quiver tree is not really a tree, rather a plant of the genus aloe, as evident from its scientific name, and one of the few species of aloe that reaches tree proportions —it can grow 7 to 9 meters high. It has a stout stem that may grow to one meter in diameter, and is covered with beautiful golden brown scales with sharp edges. The crown consist of numerous forked branches, which gives the species its name dichotoma, which means forked.



Photo credit: Njambi Ndiba/Flickr

At the tip of each branch is a spiral rosette of pointed, thickly-succulent leaves, typical of all aloe plants. Unlike the scaled trunk, the branches are smooth and are covered with a thin layer of whitish powder that helps to reflect the sun’s rays. Between June and August, which is wintertime in the Southern Hemisphere, bright yellow flowers bloom drawing both birds and human visitors.

The quiver tree is so named because native bushmen used to make quivers from the branches of the tree. Aloe dichotoma doesn't have real wood but a soft pulpy tissue, that can be hollowed out easily. One end of the hollow section is closed off with a piece of leather and used by the bushmen to hold arrows. The natives also used large hollowed out trunks to store food and water. The fibrous tissue of the trunk has a cooling effect as air passes through, allowing the natives to store perishables for longer durations.

Apart from their historical use by humans for arrow-quivers, these trees hold tremendous ecological value. Many insects, animals and birds are drawn to the abundant nectar of the flowers. The tree is also an important nesting site for huge numbers of sociable weavers. The bird build their nests among the branches, which offer the nestlings protection from high temperatures, as well as from predators.

The quiver tree is now classified as a vulnerable species. Its biggest threat is the globally rising temperature, and decreasing rainfall. But the species is fighting back by slowly shifting its distribution towards the cooler regions in higher latitudes and higher altitudes. The tree is protected by law in South Africa, and the Quiver Tree Forest is a national monument of Namibia.



Photo credit: Joachim Huber/Flickr



Photo credit: Joachim Huber/Flickr



Photo credit: Bobby Bradley/Flickr



Photo credit: Joachim Huber/Flickr



Photo credit: José Carlos Babo/Flickr



Photo credit: Curtis Simmons/Flickr

Sources: Wikipedia / Arkive / www.plantzafrica.com / h2g2.com

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Chandu Numerology

Photographs Of Forest Paths To Another World

another forest paths photographs Photography world

There is much poetry and prose being written about the selection of paths; so much, so that we look at every path with eyes numbed by nostalgia. However, we are not going to wax poetic about paths here but actually talk about the way certain paths look so lovely when photographed. Especially those places that are not usually tread upon or those that are not run of the mill like for instance, forest paths. There is something so poignant and mysterious about the path that appears in the middle of a forest where one would not expect it to be. If you think that only forest paths look amazing when captured on a camera, then you are wrong. Just check out some examples of wet and wild river photography to fascinate you and you will know that Mother Nature has given us bounty beyond our realm of imagination.

 

 

 

 

 

 Photographs Of Forest Paths To Another World

 

 

 

 

Do consider a good mix of different photos when you are planning on some unique wall photo display ideas for you. Any forest path collection will definitely find a place among the mind relaxing summer photos that you will plan to keep on your wall to tide you over the cold winter months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is not much that we can say about how fascinating not to mention lovely photos of forest paths can be. The pictures say it all and you can spend a lot of time looking at them. In fact, we are sure that you will probably never tired of looking at these pictures. However, if you want to go out to the forests and click a few pictures of the forest paths yourself, do ensure that you get good quality cameras and some tips on how to make the most of them. Photography is both an art and science and we cannot definitely claim to teach you how to do it professionally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But We Are Going To Give You Some Tips And Guidelines That Will Stand You In Good Stead If You Are Going Out There To Click Pictures Of Your Own:


Go there settle in and spend time observing: Clicking the right picture can be about making the right choice on where and how you are composing your picture. This means you have to go to a place and spend some time settling in and observing the many angles and shots that are possible in a particular place. The forest can be complex and difficult to capture well in one click; you will need to spend time on doing it right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take your time in getting your shots right: Since the play of light and shadows play a big part in the clicking of the picture of a forest path, you should take a look at various camera angles. This will show you how things look through the lens and will help you get the shot right in all circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do not take a single shot but take several: When you start clicking something as picturesque as a forest path, we are sure that each click you take a  photo you will be happy. But not all shots are going to turn out picture perfect, and that is why you need to click many shots to get that one phenomenal one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try to get shots at different times of the day: We have already said that the forest is like a living being and its looks will change based on the time of the day. That is why a forest path needs to be captured in different lights for you to understand the character of the forest path in its totality.

Chandu Numerology