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The Pando tree colony in the Fishlake National Forest, Utah, considered the largest organism on Earth, is at risk of disappearing.
Researchers Paul Rogers and Darren McAvoy of Utah State University examined a sequence of 72-year-old aerial photos as part of an article published Wednesday in PLOS ONE. The two men determined that a combination of human decisions and the lack of regulation of herbivores had resulted in the narrowing of the colony.
Pando contains about 47,000 genetically identical trees – all cloned from an original – and is probably thousands of years old. The 106-acre cluster is composed of male aspens, known to support a very high biodiversity, and many animals depend on it for their survival. On the global scale, aspen is threatened by a number of human-caused phenomena, including global warming and fire suppression.
The decline of Pando is also attributed in part to cattle and mule deer, which settle in the colony because of human activity. When these animals graze, it may be more difficult for new trees to grow.
Efforts to prevent animals from entering the body have been unsuccessful. There are not enough fences put in place to prevent wildlife from entering the colony, and people's decision to build open cabins and campsites also contributed to the decrease in number of animals, reported the New York Times. In addition to this, people have removed animals such as wolves, which previously attacked mule deer.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, insects such as bark beetles and diseases such as root rot root also attack some Pando trees.
Rogers and McAvoy anticipate that the 106-acre Pando colony will continue to shrink if better management systems are not implemented. The body could die at the same time as old trees and younger ones grow too slowly to replace them.
"If it was a human community, it would be like a whole city of 47,000 was only 85 years old," Rogers told The Times. "Where is the next generation?"
Pando is able to regenerate, but he can not bounce back without hindering the wildlife.
Rogers told the Times that saving Pando could help people understand how to save as many thousands of species in the world. And the plan is not without hope – already, according to the Times, trees have grown significantly in part of Pando where fences have been properly installed.
But Rogers and many other scientists oppose the installation of fences all around the colony. Rogers told Science magazine that he did not want to visit an "iconic" place like Pando just to watch the fences.
Instead, Rogers told Science that he would strive to eliminate the deer population around Pando.
"The real problem," Rogers told Science, "is that there are too many mouths to feed in this area."
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