On the slopes above a spring-covered lake, the Wasatch Mountains in the western United States are home to a single, giant creature that provides the entire ecosystem that plants and animals have relied on for thousands of years.
The “Pand” found in my home in Utah is a 106-acre stand that trembles an aspen clone.
It looks like a forest of individual trees with white bark and small leaves flaping in just a slight breeze, but the pando (“I’m a “I’m a spread” Latin) is actually 47,000 Genetically identical stem It arises from an interconnected route network.
This single genetic individual weighs approximately 6,000 tons. By mass it is the largest single creature on the planet.
The pando’s aerial contour is a fish lake in the foreground. (Lance Odit/Pand’s friend)
Aspen tree It tends to form clone stands Other places, what makes Pando interesting is its vast size. Most cloned aspen stands in North America It’s much smallerpeople in the western United States average only three acres.
Pando has been around for thousands of years Up to 14,000 yearsmost stems only live about 130 years. Its lifespan and remoteness means the entire ecosystem 68 plant species And many animals have evolved and are supported under the shade.
This entire ecosystem relies on aspen to remain healthy and upright. However, Pando is protected by US National Forest Service And they are not at risk of being reduced. It is at risk of disappearing due to several other factors.
The deer eats the youngest tree
Overgrazing Deer and elk It’s one of my biggest worries. Wolves and cougars once kept numbers down, but with the loss of these predators, the herds are now much larger.
Deer and elk tend to gather in the pando, as the protection received by the forest means there is no risk of hunting there.
Deer eating pando photography. (Lance Odit/Pand’s friend)
When an old tree dies or falls, light reaches the forest floor Stimulate new clone stems and start growingHowever, when these animals eat the top from the newly formed stem, they die. This means there is little new growth in most of the Pando.
The exception is one of the areas that were fenced decades ago to remove dying trees. This fenced area excludes elk and deer and has seen the successful regeneration of new clone stems with dense growth known as the “bamboo garden.”
Diseases and climate change
The old stems of the pando are also at least affected. Three Diseases: Amazing bark ulcers, leaf spots, Conk fungal disease.
Plant diseases have been occurring and thriving in the aspen position for thousands of years, but it is unclear what the long-term impact on the ecosystem will be. Because considering the lack of new growth and the ever-growing list of other pressures on the clone giant.
The fastest growing threat is the threat Climate change. Pando was born after the last ice age and has since dealt with a rather stable climate.
Pando survived illness, hunting and colonization. (Lance Odit/Pand’s friend)
Certainly it resides High mountain area Surrounded by the desert means you are not a stranger to temperatures or droughts. However, climate change threatens the size and lifespan of trees, as well as the entire host ecosystem.
Although there is no scientific research focused specifically on Pando, Aspen Stand suffers from climate change-related pressures. Reduced water supply And at the beginning of this year, we’ve made it It’s difficult for trees to form new leavesis connected to that Reduced coverage.
With more competition for constant water resources (nearby fish lakes are out of reach of tree root systems), temperatures are expected to continue Surge to record highs In the summer, and with the threat of more intense wildfires, Pando certainly struggles to adapt to these rapidly changing conditions, while maintaining its size.
The next 14,000 years
However, Pando is resilient, and has overcome already rapid environmental changes, particularly when European settlers began to live in the area in the 19th century, or after the rise of recreational activities in the 20th century. It previously dealt with diseases, wildfires and grazing and remains the world’s largest scientifically documented creature.
Despite everything Causes of concernalthough hope is hopeful as scientists help unlock Pando’s resilience secrets, conservation groups and the U.S. Forest Service are working to protect this tree and its associated ecosystems. A group called Pando’s Friend The aim is to ensure that virtually everyone has access to the tree through 360 video recordings.
One summer, when I was visiting family in Utah, I had the opportunity to visit Pando. For two days I walked under the towering mature stems, during the thick new growth of the “bamboo garden”, even within the charming meadows, under the otherwise swaying mature stems.
I marveled at wild flowers and other plants thriving under a small shaded canopy, and I was able to enjoy finding pollinated insects, birds, foxes, beavers and deer using some of the ecosystems created by Pando.
It is these moments that remind us that there are plants, animals and ecosystems worth protecting. In Pando, there is an unusual opportunity to protect all three.
Richard Elton Waltonpostdoctoral researcher in biology, Newcastle University
This article has been republished conversation Under the Creative Commons license. Please read Original article.
Previous versions of this article were published in November 2021.
