All is not as it appears to be here at Pando, in Utah"s Fishlake National Forest. At first glance, visitors likely see a massive grove of quaking aspen trees, their leaves dancing in the wind. But Pando is not many trees; instead, it"s a single organism. Like many aspen groves, the 40,000 trees in Pando are genetically identical cloned stems that sprouted from the same root system. First discovered in 1968, Pando made waves in the scientific world. It"s become recognized as one of the heaviest known organisms—weighing 6,000 metric tons—and one of the oldest known living organisms. Scientists estimate its root system is upwards of 80,000 years old, having endured the last ice age and countless forest fires. It got to be so old partly because most of the organism is protected underground. So, while an individual stem can die, the organism as a whole survives.
Fall comes to Pando
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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It s harvest time on World Food Day
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World Turtle Day
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Of balloons and lost pantaloons
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Aerial view of the Colorado River Delta in Mexico
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Wild turkeys in repose
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1.1 billion opportunities for a better world
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Lakeside serenity in Finland
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International Mountain Day
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The frog prince?
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Moai statues on Easter Island, Chile
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It’s National Dolphin Day!
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You won’t see this on Mulberry Street
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Black History Month
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A light at the edge of the world
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Rumelihisarı in Istanbul, Türkiye
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Boxing Day in East Yorkshire, England
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It s World Poetry Day
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My my, it s Syttende Mai
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Sanday Island and the North Sea, Scotland
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Keep your hands inside the ride at all times…
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Morocco in bloom
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Let s ride! It s Roller Coaster Day
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Porto Timoni beach, Greece
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Opt outside today
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Overlooking the Douro
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A festival of colors
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A tree of many memories
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National Trails Day
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Carnival of Venice
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Point Reyes National Seashore