Citation
Clonal dynamics in western North American aspen (Populus tremuloides)
TL;DR
Pando consists of 47,000 trunks from single root system
Genetic analysis establishing Pando aspen colony age at 10,000-40,000 years, making it one of Earth's oldest and largest organisms. The research demonstrates how root suckering creates genetic individuals spanning thousands of acres and millennia.
Shows the ultimate expression of regeneration from root system: 47,000 trunks, one genetic individual, persisting through countless surface disturbances because the underground network survived.
Key Findings from Mock et al. (2008)
- Pando consists of 47,000 trunks from single root system
- Estimated age 10,000-40,000 years
- New shoots emerge meters from parent trunk via root suckering
- Single genetic individual covering 106 acres