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Pando Aspen Grove in the fall.Wikicommons
The largest organism in the world has survived relatively unnoticed in the Fishlake National Forest, Utah. Researchers are now worried about the death of this 1,000-year-old organism.
The body calls Pando, Latin for I was spewing, and is a massive grove of trembling aspen. If you've been to the Colorado Mountains, you've already seen trembling aspen. They are known for their bright yellow color in autumn and emit a tremulous sound when the wind crosses their leaves.
Aspens have the unique ability to produce genetically identical offspring through the ramifications of their root system. Due to their ability to multiply asexually through their root system, aspens tend to colonize vast tracts of land through a common root system.
Autumn landscape in the beautiful mountains of San Juan Colorado
This is exactly what happened in Richfield, Utah, where a grove of 47,000 aspens comes from a single male parent, trembling aspen, sharing an identical genetic heritage. The single male aspen has been genetically cloned and has been for thousands of years.
In total, the aspen grove covers 106 acres. It is unclear why and how this specific aspen grove has developed so big. The grove could have supplanted other trees in the area, with the ability to reproduce and grow quickly. If you visited Colorado during the fall and went to see the brightly colored poplars, you may have noticed that even though a valley is poplar-free, the next valley is covered with poplars. This is due to the ability of aspen to reproduce rapidly asexually, creating a grove of identical trees.
A recent study conducted by researchers at Utah State University and published in PLOS ONE found that Pando's size and ability to replace dying aspens had been declining for decades. The team conducted field studies through the aspen grove and studied 72 years of aerial photography to develop an accelerated history of Pando's evolution.
72 years of Pando history using satellite images.PLOS ONE
The research team discovered that a combination of hungry pastures and human encroachment had resulted in Pando's decrease. Mule deer and cattle, which are allowed to graze in the forest during the summer months, feed on new shoots and leaves and have probably limited the growth of new aspens.
In particular, the team found that the aspen grove was not able to effectively replace aging and dying trees. The planting of 47,000 trees has remained in part for thousands of years, in part because the unique body has been able to provide trees at every stage of an aspen 's life, Helping to resist external threats. However, grazing animals have threatened Pando's ability to produce young shoots to replace endangered trees.
Another threat is human development in the area, with the combination of campgrounds, power lines, hiking trails, cottages, etc. These two major threats have resulted in a steady reduction in Pando's size and a decrease in size over the last 50 years.
Aspen Grove with yellow leaves reflecting in an alpine lake in autumn in the mountains of Utah
Scientists have found that fences protecting certain areas of trembling aspen were effective in protecting Pando. In protected areas, aspens were able to grow and reproduce rapidly. This study will contribute to ongoing conservation efforts for Pando and help shed light on the world's largest slow-death organism.
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Pando Aspen Grove in the fall.Wikicommons
The largest organism in the world has survived relatively unnoticed in the Fishlake National Forest, Utah. Researchers are now worried about the death of this 1,000-year-old organism.
The body calls Pando, Latin for I was spewing, and is a massive grove of trembling aspen. If you've been to the Colorado Mountains, you've already seen trembling aspen. They are known for their bright yellow color in autumn and emit a tremulous sound when the wind crosses their leaves.
Aspens have the unique ability to produce genetically identical offspring through the ramifications of their root system. Due to their ability to multiply asexually through their root system, aspens tend to colonize vast tracts of land through a common root system.
Autumn landscape in the beautiful mountains of San Juan Colorado
This is exactly what happened in Richfield, Utah, where a grove of 47,000 aspens comes from a single male parent, trembling aspen, sharing an identical genetic heritage. The single male aspen has been genetically cloned and has been for thousands of years.
In total, the aspen grove covers 106 acres. It is unclear why and how this specific aspen grove has developed so big. The grove could have supplanted other trees in the area, with the ability to reproduce and grow quickly. If you visited Colorado during the fall and went to see the brightly colored poplars, you may have noticed that even though a valley is poplar-free, the next valley is covered with poplars. This is due to the ability of aspen to reproduce rapidly asexually, creating a grove of identical trees.
A recent study conducted by researchers at Utah State University and published in PLOS ONE found that Pando's size and ability to replace dying aspens had been declining for decades. The team conducted field studies through the aspen grove and studied 72 years of aerial photography to develop an accelerated history of Pando's evolution.
72 years of Pando history using satellite images.PLOS ONE
The research team discovered that a combination of hungry pastures and human encroachment had resulted in Pando's decrease. Mule deer and cattle, which are allowed to graze in the forest during the summer months, feed on new shoots and leaves and have probably limited the growth of new aspens.
In particular, the team found that the aspen grove was not able to effectively replace aging and dying trees. The planting of 47,000 trees has remained in part for thousands of years, in part because the unique body has been able to provide trees at every stage of an aspen 's life, Helping to resist external threats. However, grazing animals have threatened Pando's ability to produce young shoots to replace endangered trees.
Human development in the region is another threat, with the combination of campgrounds, power lines, hiking trails, cottages, and so on.
Aspen Grove with yellow leaves reflecting in an alpine lake in autumn in the mountains of Utah
Scientists have found that fences protecting certain areas of trembling aspen were effective in protecting Pando. In protected areas, aspens were able to grow and reproduce rapidly. This study will contribute to ongoing conservation efforts for Pando and help shed light on the world's largest slow-death organism.
