Do goats grow on trees? Of course not. But in this photo, it certainly looks like they do.
These goats live in the southwest region of Morocco, a country in North Africa. And they love climbing these trees because of the tantalizing treats they offer.
Spitting Seeds
Picture Partners/Shutterstock.com
What Is Argan Oil?
For thousands of years, the people who live near argan forests in Morocco have harvested argan seeds to make oil. Today, argan oil is a prized ingredient in food and cosmetics around the world.
Southwest Morocco is hot and dry, which makes it difficult for plants to grow. As a result, there isn’t much food for goats. Argan [AR-guhn] trees are among the few plants suited to the climate. Their roots can stretch more than 100 feet into the ground in search of water.
For goats, the small, oval-shaped fruits that ripen on the argan tree’s thorny branches are a tantalizing treat—and easy enough to get. After all, goats are excellent climbers, able to scamper up into the trees and balance effortlessly on the branches.
After they finish munching, the goats climb down and wander away. As they walk, they spit out the fruit’s larger seeds, which they can’t digest. Smaller seeds are excreted in their droppings. This might sound gross, but the goats are helping new argan trees grow.
To grow into trees, seeds need sunlight. They need water. They need nutrients. If argan seeds fall too close to the trees they come from, they will never sprout. That’s because the mature argan tree will drink up all the available water and nutrients and
block the sunlight with its wide branches.
So how do new trees grow? The goats! As they spit and poop, they help spread the seeds across many miles.
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Jim McMahon/Mapman ®
Today, argan forests are in trouble. Many trees are being cut down for wood. In some areas, there are too many goats, and they are trampling or eating baby trees. Overharvesting argan seeds to make argan oil has also reduced the number of new trees that can grow.
Fortunately, efforts are underway to better manage these extraordinary trees and ensure that argan forests are preserved for future generations. In the coming years, hundreds and hundreds of new trees will be planted.
Surely that’s good news for hungry goats.
This article was originally published in the February 2022 issue.
