Exploring New Sounds with the World’s Largest Trees

What does one of the world’s largest lifeforms sound like? That was a question Ari Daniel asked on a recent National Public Radio (NPR) “All Things Considered” episode.

Pando is a quaking aspen tree that has spread to cover over 80 football fields in Fishlake National Forest, Utah. While Pando may resemble a forest, what we see above ground are actually thousands of 80-foot stems with one root system that began with a single seed. In an effort to learn as much about Pando as possible, a sound conservationist was called in to record the tree and its environment as a tool for other scientists to use in their studies of the behemoth.

Many recordings were captured from the tips of Pando’s leaves to deep within the root system. For an interesting listen, click on the link in the reference below. 

Reference

Daniel A. (2023) “Listen to One of the Largest Trees in the World.” NPR, May 10. (accessed May 12, 2023).