Pando, Clonal colony in Sevier County, United States.
Pando is a clonal colony of quaking aspen trees in Sevier County, United States, covering 106 acres (43 hectares) within Fishlake National Forest and made up of more than 47,000 trunks that share a single root system. The trunks grow close together and all share the same genetic material, meaning they are part of one living organism.
Scientists realized the trees were genetically identical in 1976, when Jerry Kemperman and Burton Barnes conducted their research. Estimates suggest the organism may have been growing in the same spot for thousands of years.
The forest draws people seeking quiet and nature, especially in autumn when the leaves turn golden. Hikers value the stillness and often pause to watch light filter between the trunks.
Marked trails lead through the forest, and signs explain how the root system works and why conservation matters. The best time to visit is autumn, when the leaves change color and the area is quiet.
Every trunk carries the same DNA, making the forest the heaviest known living thing on Earth, weighing around 6,000 tons. When one trunk dies, new ones sprout from the roots, allowing the organism to continue.
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