Ficus stuhlmannii is a widespread small strangler uncommon in the seasonally dry wooded savanna grasslands of East Africa from South Africa north to Kenya.
According to Burrows & Burrows (2003) Figs of Southern and South Central Africa, F. stuhlmannii is strongly associated with the termite mounds found in African savannas.
At Tarangire NP in N.E Tanzania F. stuhlmannii is locally common growing both in the ground as illustrated in this post but also as an epiphyte hosted by the many of the large Baobab trees found inside Tarangire National Park.
The densely knotted and tangled above ground roots are typical of several species of African savanna fig and almost certainly evolved as a form of armor or protection against attacks by herbivores such as elephants and other browsers of the African savannah.
For another African fig which develops pseudo-trunks see this post on Ficus burkei.
For a Bornean fig which develops a pseudo-trunk see this this post on Ficus caulocarpa. The most likely explanation for the evolution of pseudo-trunks is that Ficus caulocarpa evolved in S E Asia during a much drier period in the past when much of SE Asia was covered by savanna woodland inhabited by several species of large elephants.
The browse line on this particular fig tree is approx. two meters above ground indicating the F. stuhlmannii leaves are not favored by elephants and the most likely browsers would be Impala Aepyceros melampus which are locally common at Tarangire. Like elephants, impala are flexible in diet and are both browsers and grazers which means that when the grass shrivels up in the dry season they can switch to browse i.e. leaf eating.
