Jeff Rice Records Pando's Root Vibrations Across 47,000 Stems in Utah
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · Jun 10
Jeff Rice Records Pando's Root Vibrations Across 47,000 Stems in Utah
1 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Jun 10
Summary
A hydrophone lowered into Pando's roots captured faint vibrations that swelled into a low rumble during a thunderstorm, giving researchers an unusual acoustic window into the giant aspen clone.
Rice also detected tapping on a branch 90 feet away through the root system, a result that suggests deep interconnection but still needs controlled tests to rule out sound traveling through soil.
Pando spans 100 acres with 47,000 genetically identical stems and about 6,000 metric tons of biomass, making the 12,000-year-old Utah organism uniquely suited for root and ecosystem sound studies.
Friends of Pando hopes the recordings can help map roots and study water movement, branch relationships, insects and root depth, while building a baseline to track environmental change.
That scientific push carries urgency because Pando is deteriorating as human activity and heavy herbivory weaken the ancient forest organism and the habitat it supports.
Could listening to this ancient forest's vibrations become a new way to monitor our planet's health?
After millennia of silence, what secrets does the voice of the world's largest organism finally reveal?
Listening to Pando: How Acoustic Science and Art Are Unveiling the Hidden Life—and Urgent Crisis—of the World’s Largest Organism
Overview
In July 2022, sound artist Jeff Rice and Lance Oditt began a groundbreaking project to capture the unique sounds of Pando, the world’s largest known organism. Using specialized equipment like hydrophones, they recorded subtle vibrations traveling through Pando’s vast underground root system, as well as sounds from its leaves, bark, and surrounding ecosystem. This innovative, non-destructive method created a comprehensive auditory snapshot of the giant aspen clone, offering new ways to uncover the hidden workings of Pando’s complex hydraulic system and providing a foundation for future scientific studies and conservation efforts.