Cacao

Basic Information

Ecology and Habitats

Due to the rise of the dragons, War of Black Ash, and abandonment by their caretakers, cacao trees have become extremely rare on Terra today. The vast majority exist solely in captivity in highly regulated farms and greenhouses that are kept in strict control to prevent the spread of disease to the few remaining trees. As the world has become much cooler and drier since the human era, cacao plants have struggled to adapt to changing environments.
It is believed that roughly in the year ~5000, cacao plants may have gone extinct in the wild due to environmental pressures and the evolution of multiple diseases that decimated populations. Domestic cacao trees in particular were hit hard by the chocolate mold disease, which targeted growing cacao beans and prevented germination, making it unlikely that the extremely genetically similar domestic populations were able to proliferate on abandoned plantations without extensive care.
In 12,287, a wild grove of cacao trees was discovered in South America that has a resistance to chocolate mold not found in other populations. Seeds and cuttings were taken from the trees, whose locations are kept a strict secret for their safety and protections. Attempts at cross breeding the trees with domestics have proven futile, likely as the trees have become genetically distinct. Unfortunately, it is believed that the wild grove of cacao trees was lost to deforestation.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The cacao tree was widely used in the human era in chocolate production. Though it is still used for this purpose today, populations are extremely limited and relegated to highly controlled farms and greenhouses due to issues with pests and parasites. Due to such limited populations, chocolate is extremely rare and a high priced commodity as not enough can be produced to meet demand.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Cacao trees are host to an array of parasites and funguses, which have decimated populations. A particular fungus known as chocolate mold has particularly led to the devastation of domestic cacao trees.

Scientific Name

Theobroma cacao

Conservation Status

Critically endangered- Likely extinct in the wild