Pando's first comprehensive assessment reveals critical threats

Researchers Paul Rogers and Darren McAvoy of the University of Utah State conducted the first comprehensive assessment of the Pando Aspen clone and the results show a continuing deterioration of this "forest of a tree". Although some of the reputed grove is recovering from an earlier restoration, the majority of Pando (Latin for "I Spread") decreases by attrition.

Rogers and McAvoy, in a PLOS ONE published October 17, 2018, shows that the massive but endangered aspen clone in Pando, Utah, is in dire need of forest grading. The early protection against fencing has proven very promising to reduce the impact of browsers, which have virtually eliminated the recruitment of young aspen for decades. However, according to this study, the fencing tracking of a larger area (in combination with about half of Pando remaining unprotected by fences) currently fails. "After a significant investment in the protection of the iconic clone Pando, we were disappointed with this result.In particular, the mule deer seems to find ways to get in by the weak points of the fence or by jumping over the 20-meter barrier, "said Rogers, director of the Western Aspen Alliance and adjunct faculty member at the USU Department of Natural Resources. He adds: "Although Pando probably exists for thousands of years – we have no method to fix his age", he now collapses under our watch. A clear lesson emerges here: we can not independently manage wildlife and the forest. "

In addition to presenting the first comprehensive analysis of forest conditions, the study proposes a sequence of 72-year historical historical aerial photographs, which visually traces the continuous lightening of the forest, the clearcuts that remain deforested and the constant intrusion. human development. . On the whole, objective analysis and subjective photographic chronology reveal a modern tragedy: the "trembling giant" that lasts for millennia may not survive half a century of human interference .

Pando is widely regarded as the largest organism in the world weighing around 13 million pounds. (5.9 million kg). Covering some 106 hectares (43 ha) in the Fishlake National Forest in south-central south-central Utah, the clonal colony includes more than 47,000 genetically identical aerial stems or "ramets" derived from trees. a single underground parent clone. The earthquake quake, an iconic species of Pando, was named Utah's state tree in 2014 and, among many values, is considered an essential part of the scenic mountainous landscapes of the United States. American West. According to Rogers, the trends observed in Pando are manifest in Western states. Thus, the Western Aspen Alliance serves as a clearing house for contemporary aspen science for professionals, scientists and policy makers.

Rogers concludes: "In addition to ecological values, Pando symbolizes the links between nature and man and suggests larger losses of species." Here, at the regional and even international level, aspen forests are home to This work argues for conservation "as a break with traditional approaches to each species and its habitat. It would be a shame to see the significant reduction of this iconic forest when the reversal of this decline is achievable, if we demonstrate the will. "

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More information:
PLOS ONE (2018). DOI: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0203619