Scientists Record World’s Largest Tree’s Eerie Sound

LONDON – Now we can hear one living organism the largest and oldest on Earth whispers with the vibrations of a million leaves reverberating through its roots.

A forest of one tree, known as Pando (“I spread” in Latin), consists of 47,000 trunks (all with the same DNA) growing from a shared root system across more than 100 acres (40 hectares) in Utah.

This quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), with a single prominent male trunk, gradually grew into a living creature weighing 6,000 metric tons, making it the largest living organism in the world in terms of mass.

After perhaps 12,000 years on Earth, this massive plant, whose trunk reaches up to 24 meters (80 feet), certainly has a lot to say. And recordings released this year let us “hear” it like never before.

“This is a tantalizing discovery,” said Lance Oditt, founder of Friends of Pando, when the project launched in 2023.

“While it started out as art, we see huge potential for use in science. Wind, converted into vibrations (sound) and moving through the root system, could also reveal the inner workings of Pando’s vast and hidden hydraulic system in a non-destructive way.”

Sound artist Jeff Rice experimentally placed a hydrophone in a hole at the base of a branch and connected it to the roots of a tree, not expecting to hear much.

(wbs)