Scientists recorded it. The gigantic earthly organism made a terrifying sound
The recording, which may cause chills, was presented at the 184th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. It features sounds made by one of the oldest organisms on Earth. According to experts, Pando has likely existed for at least 12 thousand years, and its mass is around 6,614 tons.
3:43 PM EDT, October 20, 2023
The Pando aspen grove (Latin: I disseminate), which spans an area of about 99 acres in the south-central part of Utah, resembles a forest, but in reality, it's a single organism composed of approximately 47 thousand genetically identical aspen shoots connected at the base. All shoots have the same DNA. Over time, Pando has become the largest tree in the world in terms of mass, which is about 6,614 tons. Additionally, research suggests that it is at least 12,000 years old, although some theories say it could be as old as 80,000 years.
Lance Oditt, founder of Friends of Pando and artist, Jeff Rice decided to present Pando in a whole new light than before. As Science Alert points out, in May 2023 they informed the world about the effects of their work. Initially, they started with an artistic project, which was meant to capture the sounds of this huge organism, but over time they noticed that their work could also have an impact on science.
Although it started with art, we see huge potential for use in science. Wind transformed into vibrations (sound) and moving through the root system can also non-destructively reveal the inner workings of Pando's vast, hidden hydraulic system - explained Lance Oditt.
Oditt and Rice used a hydrophone to record the sound of Pando. They attached the device to the roots of Pando. Initially, they did not expect to be able to record anything valuable. However, the results exceeded their expectations. According to Rice, the hydrophone recorded the sound of millions of leaves that set Pando trembling. They also managed to record branch impacts 98 feet away, despite the fact that from that distance, sound should not be audible in the air. You can listen to the recordings here.
Science Alert notes that the recording of these sounds confirms the theory that the root system of Pando is interconnected. Experts from Friends of Pando plan to use the collected data for further research. Oditt explained that this will enable analyses of the movement of water, existing branches, insect colonies, and the depth of roots. This is important because Pando is undergoing degradation and may soon disappear from our planet. This is mainly due to human activity, including cutting down trees and killing predators, which limit the number of herbivores.
