Pando, One Of The Largest Organisms In The World, Is Collapsing
- 6 years ago
Researchers with Utah State University have discovered that Pando, a mass of aspen clones connected by a single root system, is collapsing
Researchers with Utah State University have discovered that Pando, a mass of aspen clones connected by a single root system, is collapsing, reports the New York Times. One of the world's largest organisms, the Utah giant is comprised of roughly 47,000 trees and weighs an estimated 13 million pounds. The study revealed that new growth is being consumed by wildlife, which means aging and lost trees not being replaced. "In addition to presenting the first comprehensive analysis of forest conditions, the study offers a unique 72-year historical aerial photo sequence the visually chronicles the…steady thinning of the forest, past clear-cuts that remain deforested today, and continual intrusion of human development," according to a press release issued by the university. The research team is calling for "'mega-conservation' as a departure from traditional individual species-habitat approaches."
Researchers with Utah State University have discovered that Pando, a mass of aspen clones connected by a single root system, is collapsing, reports the New York Times. One of the world's largest organisms, the Utah giant is comprised of roughly 47,000 trees and weighs an estimated 13 million pounds. The study revealed that new growth is being consumed by wildlife, which means aging and lost trees not being replaced. "In addition to presenting the first comprehensive analysis of forest conditions, the study offers a unique 72-year historical aerial photo sequence the visually chronicles the…steady thinning of the forest, past clear-cuts that remain deforested today, and continual intrusion of human development," according to a press release issued by the university. The research team is calling for "'mega-conservation' as a departure from traditional individual species-habitat approaches."