Largest Living Organism Creates Eerie Sounds
One of the coolest mysteries and pieces of scientific knowledge that we have is that trees can speak to each other through their root systems. Now, researchers have discovered that there is a living sound coming from one of the world’s most ancient organisms. The single tree which was named Pando (“I spread” in Latin) has made an incredible sound from the shaking of its millions of leaves which spread to an echo throughout its massive root system.
Researchers recorded the low rumblings of the Pando aspen forest, a singular tree sprawling thousands of stems, and the sounds are thought to be of its leave “trembling” during a thunderstorm.
All in all, Pando has an incredible amount of stems – 47,000 to be exact – that stretch and sprawl across 100 acres of Utah. Clocking in at 6,000 metric tons, this aspen is an impressive ancient tree that scientists believe has seen 12,000 years pass on Earth. With so much mass and age under its belt, the aspen has an enormous amount of living sounds coming from its core.
In a research conducted by a group dubbed, Friends of Pando, the living sounds vibrating out of the tree were studied over a few months. First uncovering their findings to the public back in May, those behind the study couldn’t have expected the incredible discovery that would come from their hard work.
Researchers are concerned that Pando is on its way out, taking its living sounds with it.
Describing the tree’s sound as something coming from a “vast hidden hydraulic system,” Lance Oditt, the founder of Friends of Pando, says that while the project started as something that would combine art with nature, he now sees the possibility of blending it into the field of science.
The first bit of art that Pando met was through sound artist Jeff Rice who played a hydrophone inside a hollow piece of branch at the gigantic tree’s base. Angling it towards the tree’s roots, he was shocked to find that, upon putting his headphones on, there was a cacophony of living sounds coming from the tree. Adding to the drama, Rice headed back to Pando during a thunderstorm and found that the sound grew louder, with a low rumbling coming from the organism.
All in all, Pando has an incredible amount of stems – 47,000 to be exact – that stretch and sprawl across 100 acres of Utah.
According to Rice, he believes that due to the tree’s sheer size, the sound is coming from “millions of leaves in the forest” that shake the tree, vibrate down through the branches, and eventually make their way to the ground. Possibly even more impressive is that the living sound from the aspen doesn’t stop with its leaves but also comes from its branches. During his tests, Rice was able to pick up tapping sounds from a branch around 90 feet away, solidifying the idea that the tree’s root system was all connected.
Of course, with every beautiful find in nature, there’s a negative side with predators like global warming and even humans demolishing things once considered immortal. Researchers are concerned that Pando is on its way out, taking its living sounds with it. Along with humans and natural causes, scientists believe that the number of herbivores is up, leading more creatures to belly up to the aspen for dinner.
Still, like something out of The Lord of the Rings and the trees known as Ents, the living sounds coming from deep within the roots of Pando are something that displays the wonder of life. You can listen to the sound for yourself at Ecosystem Sound.
