World's Largest Single Organism Pando is Breaking Down to Smaller Fractions

Pando, the world's largest single organism, may soon disperse into smaller parts.

A study suggests that "chronic herbivory," or simply overfeeding by animals, may be about to cause this enormous forest organism known as "Pando" to "break up."

Although this 100-acre structure resembles a typical aspen forest in Utah, it is the same organism. Pando is thought to be made up of genetically identical trees that share a massive root system and have a dry weight mass of about 13 million pounds. It might be as old as 14,000 years old.

Through basal shoots or off-shooting suckers, plants can produce genetically identical clones. These offshoots enable the plant to grow into the ground and eventually connect root systems in another location, replicating itself exactly. Other plants such as the Canada thistle, cherry trees, tree of heaven, hazel trees, apple trees, and Asimina triloba exhibit this "vegetative dispersal," a type of asexual reproduction.

The length of time Pando can last is reportedly being threatened by deer and cattle who eat new sprouts. There are relatively fewer shrubs to replace older trees as they age.

Pando is "Breaking Up.

Rodgers said that Pando, although genetically uniform, is "breaking up," according to research, as a result of fencing and herbivory. This famous aspen clone is slowly perishing as a result of cattle (Bos taurus L.) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus Raf.) persistently browsing it in recent years.

Previous attempts to stop Pando's decline, like building fences to keep herbivores away from the younger trees, have only made matters worse and might have even segregated the organism into fragmented zones.

Rodgers explained that fences have been put up at Pando to reduce herbivory, but these ecological and visual intrusions could cause new plant diversity pathways at this natural wonder as well as aesthetic problems.

After decades of unsuccessful recruitment, fencing to reduce herbivory is a logical first step. However, barriers seem to be having unforeseen consequences, potentially dividing Pando into different ecological zones instead of promoting a single resilient forest.

Additionally, only 16 percent of the organism is sufficiently boarded up to keep out herbivorous animals, with over half of the structure lacking any kind of fence and over a third of Pando's fencing in disrepair. The fragmentation of the forest is a result of these various impacts in various locations.

The organism is now even more in danger as a result of media coverage of Pando and its decline. Rodgers said that Pando's future looks bleak given the current browsing pressure and rising human traffic.

Short Term Strategies

Reintroduction of predators of cattle and deer to reestablish a predator-prey balance is another current short-term strategy for restoring Pando. These are, however, expensive and widespread strategies.

The regional ecology will be impacted by Pando's decline as well. According to the American Museum of Natural History, aspen forests are very often a keystone species of an ecological system because their presence has a significant impact on the survival of organisms at either end of the forest's food chain. Because Pando and other aspen forests support high levels of biodiversity, the fracturing of Pando could have a significant effect on several dependent species.

Rodgers also said that worldwide, aspen forests support exceptionally high biodiversity, but in Pando, overabundant browsers are displacing resilience, which is expected to have a detrimental effect on community diversity, Newsweek reports.