Pando: Unveiling the mysteries of the world's largest living organism
In the world of plants and animals, science knows many gigantic organisms. However, none of them is as gigantic as Pando, an area in the American state of Utah, which essentially is a huge forest made up of thousands of trees with a common genetic code and root system.
30 April 2024 12:47
Pando covers an area of about 43 hectares, which is comparable in size to 60 football pitches. It is home to over 47,000 trees, whose total weight is about 6,000 tonnes. It might seem that compared with other forests, this is not a phenomenon on a global scale.
Far from it. The trees growing in this American state for over 16,000 years are actually one, very developed organism. This is because all the trees in the Pando area are genetically identical. Moreover, they also share a common root system.
This means that over an area of several dozen hectares, essentially one organism is growing – record-breaking, as it is the largest in the world in terms of size, but also most likely the heaviest. An estimated age of at least 16,000 years, in turn, suggests that the giant trembling aspens in Utah (Pando) are most likely the oldest living organisms today.
A unique organism in the USA
With its thousands of trembling aspens, the Pando area has long been an object of interest to scientists associated with biology and environmental protection. Recently, they have established that the mentioned trees emit terrifying sounds. You can play the recording on the Ecosystem Sound website. There, you will find a more than 6-minute piece created by placing hydrophones near the trees' roots. The devices recorded the vibrations underneath the trees, which stem from the root system. The recording also captures millions of trembling aspen leaves moving in the wind. As a result, a recording was made with a terrifying, escalating sound emitted by the trees.
Scientists intend to understand forests better, one organism developed over an area of more than 40 hectares, in the future. For now, however, they note that its existence is threatened despite being on Earth for several thousand years. This is due to climate change, including droughts and the disappearance of predators from the Pando area (sabre-toothed tigers lived there in the past), which previously helped maintain a balance between herbivores and trees. Today – without such species – the life of this record-holder in the USA is in danger.
