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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
On 106 acres in Fishlake National Forest in Richfield, Utah, a 13-million-pound giant has been looming for thousands of years. But few people have ever heard of him.
This is "the Trembling Giant," or Pando, from the Latin word for "I spread." A single clone, and genetically male, he is the most massive organism on Earth. He is a forest of one: a grove of some 47,000 quivering aspen trees — Populus tremuloides — connected by a single root system, and all with the same DNA.
But this majestic behemoth may be more of a Goliath, suggests a study published Wednesday in PLOS ONE. Threatened by herds of hungry animals and human encroachment, Pando is fighting a losing battle.
The study, consisting of recent ground surveys and an analysis of 72 years of aerial photographs, revealed that this unrealized natural treasure and keystone species — with hundreds of dependents — is shrinking. And without more careful management of the forest, and the mule deer and cattle that forage within him, the Trembling Giant will continue to dwindle.
"It's been thriving for thousands of years, and now it's coming apart on our watch," said Paul Rogers, an ecologist at Utah State University who led the study.
How Pando got so big is a mystery. Perhaps it lived among other clones and became dominant over time. Or maybe the relatively flat land where it grows encouraged its spread. Maybe Pando just outcompeted other trees.
But there's hope for Pando as managers learn from past mistakes and take advantage of an improved understanding of forest ecology.
Where one section of the forest has been properly fenced off and managed, trees have grown tens of feet in just a few years. Pando's genetics may encourage its fast growth in new areas.
More fencing, culling of deer, and experimentation with the forest's natural ecology ultimately might save Pando, Dr. Rogers said. And educating the public about the giant's significance may spur novel conservation methods. For instance, saving common species such as aspen, which support high biodiversity, might be just as important as saving rare, charismatic species.
"If we can save this, there are lessons that may help us save hundreds to thousands of species worldwide," Dr. Rogers said. "If we can't manage that 106 acres and restore it, what does that say about our greater interactions with the earth?"
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(Score: 3, Informative) by beckett on Monday October 22 2018, @02:24AM (1 child)
Bullshit on this "Largest Organism"; Oregon's Humongous Fungus [opb.org] spans 2200 acres [wikipedia.org], Fuck you Pando, you diminutive, vascular, piece of shit
(Score: 3, Interesting) by aclarke on Monday October 22 2018, @01:33PM
Why is it that we're discussing two different contenders for "largest organism" and they both happen to be in the United States?
Is it just random chance, sort of like winning the lottery / getting struck by lightning twice? I once knew a guy in his early 20s (American, BTW) who claimed to have been struck by lightning four times, so it's possible I suppose. Maybe it's like how aliens always attack the United States when they arrive. In movies, I mean.
Is it just 'Murica!, sort of like the "World Series"? "There may be other larger organisms but since they're not in our country they don't really matter."
Or is it that Americans have taken more of an interest in finding organisms and have thoroughly explored their own country? Leading this to be more of a "largest organism heretofore discovered" scenario?
I'm leaning toward a combination of all these. Regardless, both of these organisms are fascinating.