A dragon blood's tree overlooks a natural infinity pool within Homhil Protected Area on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)2025-05-19T03:34:51Z SOCOTRA, Yemen (AP) On a windswept plateau high above the Arabian Sea, Sena Keybani cradles a sapling that barely reaches her ankle. The young plant, protected by a makeshift fence of wood and wire, is a kind of dragons blood tree a species found only on the Yemeni island of Socotra that is now struggling to survive intensifying threats from climate change.Seeing the trees die, its like losing one of your babies, said Keybani, whose family runs a nursery dedicated to preserving the species. Known for their mushroom-shaped canopies and the blood-red sap that courses through their wood, the trees once stood in great numbers. But increasingly severe cyclones, grazing by invasive goats, and persistent turmoil in Yemen which is one of the worlds poorest countries and beset by a decade-long civil war have pushed the species, and the unique ecosystem it supports, toward collapse. Dragons blood trees are seen from the highest peak on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Dragons blood trees are seen from the highest peak on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Often compared to the Galapagos Islands, Socotra floats in splendid isolation some 240 kilometers (150 miles) off the Horn of Africa. Its biological riches including 825 plant species, of which more than a third exist nowhere else on Earth have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. Among them are bottle trees, whose swollen trunks jut from rock like sculptures, and frankincense, their gnarled limbs twisting skywards.But its the dragons blood tree that has long captured imaginations, its otherworldly form seeming to belong more to the pages of Dr. Seuss than to any terrestrial forest. The island receives about 5,000 tourists annually, many drawn by the surreal sight of the dragons blood forests. Flowers blossom on a bottle tree on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Flowers blossom on a bottle tree on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Frankincense and bottle trees grow on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Frankincense and bottle trees grow on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A dragon bloods tree sits above a canyon on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) A dragon bloods tree sits above a canyon on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Visitors are required to hire local guides and stay in campsites run by Socotran families to ensure tourist dollars are distributed locally. If the trees were to disappear, the industry that sustains many islanders could vanish with them.With the income we receive from tourism, we live better than those on the mainland, said Mubarak Kopi, Socotras head of tourism. But the tree is more than a botanical curiosity: Its a pillar of Socotras ecosystem. The umbrella-like canopies capture fog and rain, which they channel into the soil below, allowing neighboring plants to thrive in the arid climate. When you lose the trees, you lose everything the soil, the water, the entire ecosystem, said Kay Van Damme, a Belgian conservation biologist who has worked on Socotra since 1999. A camel herder crosses the road on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) A camel herder crosses the road on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Without intervention, scientists like Van Damme warn these trees could disappear within a few centuries and with them many other species.Weve succeeded, as humans, to destroy huge amounts of nature on most of the worlds islands, he said. Socotra is a place where we can actually really do something. But if we dont, this one is on us.Increasingly intense cyclones uproot trees Toppled dragons blood trees are strewn on the ground on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Toppled dragons blood trees are strewn on the ground on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Across the rugged expanse of Socotras Firmihin plateau, the largest remaining dragons blood forest unfolds against the backdrop of jagged mountains. Thousands of wide canopies balance atop slender trunks. Socotra starlings dart among the dense crowns while Egyptian vultures bank against the relentless gusts. Below, goats weave through the rocky undergrowth. The frequency of severe cyclones has increased dramatically across the Arabian Sea in recent decades, according to a 2017 study in the journal Nature Climate Change, and Socotras dragons blood trees are paying the price. Socotras Firmihin plateau, home to the largest remaining dragons blood forest, is visible on Sept. 18, 2024, on the Yemeni island of Socotra. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Socotras Firmihin plateau, home to the largest remaining dragons blood forest, is visible on Sept. 18, 2024, on the Yemeni island of Socotra. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More An Egyptian vulture soars above Socotra's Firmihin plateau on Sept. 18, 2024, on the Yemeni island of Socotra. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) An Egyptian vulture soars above Socotra's Firmihin plateau on Sept. 18, 2024, on the Yemeni island of Socotra. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Begonia socotrana grows on a rock on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Begonia socotrana grows on a rock on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A network of caves stretches for kilometers on the Yemeni island of Socotra, on Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) A network of caves stretches for kilometers on the Yemeni island of Socotra, on Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In 2015, a devastating one-two punch of cyclones unprecedented in their intensity tore across the island. Centuries-old specimens, some over 500 years old, which had weathered countless previous storms, were uprooted by the thousands. The destruction continued in 2018 with yet another cyclone.As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, so too will the intensity of the storms, warned Hiroyuki Murakami, a climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the studys lead author. Climate models all over the world robustly project more favorable conditions for tropical cyclones.Invasive goats endanger young trees Goats roam amidst dragons blood trees on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 18, 2024.(AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Goats roam amidst dragons blood trees on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 18, 2024.(AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More But storms arent the only threat. Unlike pine or oak trees, which grow 60 to 90 centimeters (25 to 35 inches) per year, dragons blood trees creep along at just 2 to 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) annually. By the time they reach maturity, many have already succumbed to an insidious danger: goats. An invasive species on Socotra, free-roaming goats devour saplings before they have a chance to grow. Outside of hard-to-reach cliffs, the only place young dragons blood trees can survive is within protected nurseries. The majority of forests that have been surveyed are what we call over-mature there are no young trees, there are no seedlings, said Alan Forrest, a biodiversity scientist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburghs Centre for Middle Eastern Plants. So youve got old trees coming down and dying, and theres not a lot of regeneration going on. Mohammed Abdullah tends to dragons blood tree saplings at the Keybani family nursery on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Mohammed Abdullah tends to dragons blood tree saplings at the Keybani family nursery on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Achatinelloides mollusks gather on a tree's bark on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Achatinelloides mollusks gather on a tree's bark on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A bottle tree grows from a cliff face on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) A bottle tree grows from a cliff face on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Keybanis familys nursery is one of several critical enclosures that keep out goats and allow saplings to grow undisturbed.Within those nurseries and enclosures, the reproduction and age structure of the vegetation is much better, Forrest said. And therefore, it will be more resilient to climate change.Conflict threatens conservation Ghost crab nests line the beach on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Ghost crab nests line the beach on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More But such conservation efforts are complicated by Yemens stalemated civil war. As the Saudi Arabia-backed, internationally recognized government battles Houthi rebels a Shiite group backed by Iran the conflict has spilled beyond the countrys borders. Houthi attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea have drawn retaliation from Israeli and Western forces, further destabilizing the region. The Yemeni government has 99 problems right now, said Abdulrahman Al-Eryani, an advisor with Gulf State Analytics, a Washington-based risk consulting firm. Policymakers are focused on stabilizing the country and ensuring essential services like electricity and water remain functional. Addressing climate issues would be a luxury. Ecotourism guide Sami Mubarak poses for a portrait beneath an ailing dragons blood tree on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Ecotourism guide Sami Mubarak poses for a portrait beneath an ailing dragons blood tree on the Yemeni island of Socotra, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More With little national support, conservation efforts are left largely up to Socotrans. But local resources are scarce, said Sami Mubarak, an ecotourism guide on the island. Mubarak gestures toward the Keybani family nurserys slanting fence posts, strung together with flimsy wire. The enclosures only last a few years before the wind and rain break them down. Funding for sturdier nurseries with cement fence posts would go a long way, he said. Right now, there are only a few small environmental projects its not enough, he said. We need the local authority and national government of Yemen to make conservation a priority. A fisherman drags a shark to shore on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) A fisherman drags a shark to shore on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Sand dunes plunge into the sea on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Sand dunes plunge into the sea on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Children play in the waves on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Children play in the waves on the Yemeni island of Socotra on Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The sunrise appears between the branches of a dragons blood tree on the Yemeni island of Socotra, on Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) The sunrise appears between the branches of a dragons blood tree on the Yemeni island of Socotra, on Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram.___The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment ANNIKA HAMMERSCHLAG Hammerschlag is a text and visual journalist covering the intersection of oceans and climate change globally for The Associated Press. She is based in Seattle. instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site