Rsns of Nturlizd and ndmi i Grmlsm in Suth-Wst ustrli t Slt Strss - Literature review Example

The F. albida is an Acacia species that is native to the Sahelian region in West Africa. This plant species is found in ferruginous soil and tropical dry climate with a mean annual rainfall of about 70mm. The species grows well in mean annual temperatures of 25ºC (Miller et al., 2011). The A. Senegal is native to Sudan in Africa and is popular for its gum Arabic. The is a gummy liquid in the bark that forms a translucent mass due to air exposure (Hausfater & Bearce, 1976). The function of this liquid is to seal off the part of the plant that is injured to avoid further moisture loss or the entrance of pathogens.

Gum arabica is widely used in confections, pharmaceuticals, and adhesives (Egadu, Mucunguzi & Obua, 2007). The bark of this acacia has tannin that is used in making inks, dyes, and tanning processes (Midgley & Bond, 2001). A. arabica is native to Asia and tropical Africa. It produces an inferior form of gum Arabic. Its tannin is widely used in India for pharmaceutical and tanning purposes.Acacias native to Australia that are used for tannin are A. pycnantha (golden wattle), A. decurrens (green wattle), A.

dealbata (silver wattle). Other species used as valuable timber include A. melanoxylon (Australian blackwood), A. homalophylla (yarran) and A. koa found in Hawaii. A. farnesiana (Sweet acacia) is found in the southwestern United States (Rinaudo & Cunningham, 2008). Acacia holosericea is an Australian Acacia species commonly found in areas with 400mm to 700 mm of rainfall. This species is mostly adapted to Australia due to its rapid early growth and high survival rate (Faye et al., 2009). This Acacia species is multipurpose since the leaves can be added to the soil surface as mulch and the branches can be used as firewood.

Furthermore, the species fixes nitrogen by adding N to the ecosystem. This input improves soil characteristics. The Australian species depends on mycorrhizas to be able to absorb minerals from the soil and fix nitrogen into the ecosystem (Duponnois, Founoune, Masse & Pontainer, 2005). Acacia mearnsii is a species that is widespread in Australia. Dye and Jarmain (2004) refer to this species as the black wattle. This subgenus is invasive in more than 12 regions including Europe, Asia, Indonesia, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Indian Ocean islands (such as Madagascar), Southern Africa, Atlantic Islands, South America, Caribbean Islands (Richardson & Rejmanek, 2011, p.794).