Fishlake National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in south central Utah . The namesake for the forest is Fish Lake , the largest freshwater mountain lake in the state.
31-593: The Chalk Creek Hieroglyphics are a series of carvings of unknown origin in Fishlake National Forest , Utah , nearby the town of Fillmore . Some of the glyphs have been moved to the Fillmore Office Interpretive. These symbols are one of the most visited areas of the forest. The hieroglyphs were first discovered by two prospectors from Fillmore, Clifford Purcell and Rube Melville in 1939 during an attempt to locate iron ore. Purcell reported that
62-655: A yin and yang on it, along with an unidentifiable character. Fishlake National Forest Animals that inhabit this forest are elk , shrews , deer , black bears , coyotes , various species of bats , moose , raccoons , two species of skunks , badgers , turkey vultures , two species of eagles , pika , snowshoe hares , various species of woodpeckers , pine marten , porcupines , four species of hummingbirds , beavers , kestrels , pronghorn , various species of owls , bobcats , minks , three species of fox , cougars , mountain lions , bighorn sheep , wild turkeys , and mountain goats . Established in 1908 from
93-599: A central concern in their land management policies. Paul Rogers and Darren McAvoy of Utah State University completed an assessment of Pando's status in 2018 and stressed the importance of reducing herbivory by mule deer as critical to conserving Pando for the future. In 2019, Rogers and Jan Šebesta surveyed other vegetation within Pando besides aspen, finding additional support for their 2018 conclusions; that interactions between browsing and management strategy may have had adverse effects on Pando's long-term resilience to change. In 2023,
124-399: A clone. Due to the progressive replacement of stems and roots, the overall age of an aspen clone cannot be determined from tree rings . Speculation on Pando's age have ranged between from 80,000 years to 1 Million years old. Many news sources list Pando's age as 80,000 years old, but this claim derives from a now-removed National Park Service web page, which redacted that claim in 2023 and,
155-674: A hormone response that stimulates new growth. In 1993, Fishlake National Forest began work on the "Aspen Regeneration Project", installing fences to help control deer and elk who threatened to destroy the productive results of work to spur and protect new growth Today, 53 acres of Pando is protected by 8-foot fences to control populations of mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) and elk ( Cervus canadensis ), and to control human uses, such as permitted grazing by domestic cattle ( Bos taurus ). Additional fencing protections are to be added in 2025 bringing approximately 84 acres of Pando's landmass into protective care. Regeneration rates in portions of
186-401: A long period of time (between 9,000 and 14,000 years - 18,000 years by the latest (2024) estimate. ). Researchers have argued that Pando’s future is uncertain due to a combination of factors including drought , cattle grazing , and fire suppression . In terms of drought, Pando's long lived nature suggests it has survived droughts that have driven out humans for centuries. In terms of grazing,
217-451: A majority of Pando's land mass is fenced for permanent protection and management as a unique tree. In terms of cattle grazing, Cattle grazing is only permitted on a volume basis for 10 days a year in October, weather permitting in a small edge of Pando's expanse. In 2023, local grazers group 7 Mile Grazers signed off on a plan that would bring remaining portions of Pando into protective care under
248-413: A process called suckering. An individual stem can send out lateral roots that, under the right conditions, send up other erect stems; from all above-ground appearances the new stems look just like individual trees. The process is repeated until a whole stand, of what appear to be individual trees, forms. This collection of multiple stems, called ramets, all form one, single, genetic individual, usually termed
279-935: A team of researchers, land managers, wildlife biologists and citizen scientists groups began long term programs to monitor deer and elk using GPS collars and wildlife cameras to better understand wildlife, as well as deer and elk browsing on the tree. In 2022, Executive Order 14702 directed the US Forest Service to inventory old growth and mature forest as part of a plan to protect mature and old growth forest. Data submitted by Fishlake National Forest defined Pando's landmass as mature meaning it could be eligible for special care and protections. Most agree, based on Barnes' work and later work, that Pando encompasses 42.89 hectares (106 acres), weighs an estimated 6,000 metric tons (6,600 short tons) or 13.2 million pounds, and features an estimated 47,000 stems, which die individually and are replaced by genetically identical stems that are sent up from
310-729: Is the headwaters of Otter Creek, a tributary of the East Fork Sevier River . It is also home to the Chalk Creek Hieroglyphics . Pando , a clonal quaking aspen stand, that, according to some sources, is the oldest (80,000 years) and largest (106 acres, 13 million pounds) organism on Earth, is located in the Fremont River Ranger District of the National Forest, 1 mile southwest of Fish Lake on Utah route 25. Native water rights to Fish Lake were sold to
341-460: Is the largest clonal organism, other large trees, including Redwoods can also reproduce via cloning. Pando being the heaviest tree and the largest tree by landmass, while also being the largest aspen clone leaves the Pando Tree in a class of its own. Since the early 2000s, little information has been adequately corroborated about Pando's origins and how its genetic integrity has been sustained over
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#1732869510839372-513: The Fishlake National Forest . A male clonal organism , Pando has an estimated 47,000 stems (ramets) that appear to be individual trees, but are connected by a root system that spans 42.8 ha (106 acres). Pando is the largest tree by weight and landmass and the largest known aspen clone. Pando was identified as a single living organism because each of its stems possesses identical genetic markers . The massive interconnected root system coordinates energy production, defense and regeneration across
403-554: The Fremont Irrigation Company on March 10, 1889, for nine horses, 500 pounds of flour, one steer, and a suit of clothes. Ten years later President William McKinley created a Forest Reserve which included Fish Lake. Pando (tree) Pando (from Latin pando 'I spread'), is the world's largest tree, a quaking aspen ( Populus tremuloides ) located in Sevier County, Utah , United States, in
434-453: The "Aspen Regeneration Project" which started in the 1990's, showed promise based on photographic evidence and repeated survey plots by land managers, scientists and conservation groups between 1993 and today. Despite this, many have argued more work needs to be done to control wildlife, as the Pando Tree is surrounded by 700 square miles of de facto wildlife preserve managed by people, groups and agencies who do not have Pando's sustainability as
465-469: The "Pando Protection Plan", which would bring nearly 34 hectares (84 acres) of the tree into protective care. In terms of fire suppression, research indicates Pando has survived fires that would have likely leveled the tree many times, after which Pando regenerated itself from the root system. The same research also indicates large-scale fire events are infrequent, which may be owed to the fact that aspen are water heavy and naturally fire resistant, earning them
496-519: The Fish Lake clone were relatively obscure. Work by Fishlake National Forest to understand and protect the tree began in 1987, according to interviews and articles written by Fishlake Forest as well as accounts gathered by Friends of Pando. Based of Barnes and Kempermans's 1976 paper noting Pando's discovery, Michael Grant, Jeffrey Mitton, and Yan Linhart of the University of Colorado at Boulder re-examined
527-509: The Pando Tree. Notable organizations that also study and advocate to protect Pando's care include Western Aspen Alliance and Grand Canyon Trust. The Pando tree was identified in 1976 by Jerry Kemperman and Burton V. Barnes . A posthumous biography by Barnes' colleague, Daniel Kashian, details Pando's discovery: As a part of his aspen work in the West, Burt began to examine an extremely large trembling aspen clone southwest of Fish Lake, Utah, in
558-589: The United States, the Official Register of Champion Trees defines the largest trees in a species specific way , in this case, Pando is the largest aspen tree ( Populus tremuloides) . In forestry, the largest trees are measured by the greatest volume of a single stem, regardless of species, in that case, the General Sherman Tree , is the largest unitary (single stem) tree. While many emphasize that Pando
589-879: The clone in 1992 and described Pando as a single male aspen clone based on its morphological characteristics such as pollen production, leaves, and root structure. Michael Grant named the tree "Pando" which is latin for "I spread" in an editorial which was later published in Discover Magazine. A large scale genetic sampling and analysis was published in 2008 by Jennifer DeWoody, Karen Mock, Valerie Hipkins and Carol Rowe. The research team's genetic study confirmed morphological analysis by Barnes and Kemperman as well as Mitton, Grant and Linhart thus, verifying Pando's size and scale of operation. In late 1987, Fishlake National Forest began work to remove diseased trees and promote new growth using coppicing (a form of mechanical stimulation), to simultaneously remove diseased stems which triggers
620-431: The glyphs, some people think that the symbols lead to gold tablets from Utah's colonial days, although none have been found. Others believe that they are inscriptions by Spanish miners who are looking for gold. The first of the glyphs discovered, in 1939, were arranged in four rows, with symbols such as human heads and hands being able to be seen. Signature Rock, a boulder which toppled from its initial location in 1965, has
651-510: The hieroglyphs from the Halfway Hill Fire in 2022, Hannah Robinson from the Bureau of Land Management , along with a crew of firefighters, removed trees near the area and wrapped the symbols and nearby signs with fire protection fabric. Despite this, the glyphs were not affected by the fire at all, although protection measures still stay in place. Although no scientific reason has been found for
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#1732869510839682-428: The last Glacial Maximum in the area based on paleo-climate models and genetic traits of aspen sites throughout North America. Estimates of Pando's age have also been influenced by changes in the understanding of establishment of aspen clones in western North America. Earlier sources argued germination and successful establishment of aspen on new sites was rare in the last 10,000 years and therefore, Pando's root system
713-421: The late 1960s and early 1970s. Using aerial photography and the same morphological differentiation techniques he developed for aspen at UMBS for his dissertation, Burt concluded that the aspen forest that covered about 106 acres was a single aspen clone, quite possibly the “world’s largest organism.” Other than a single publication about aspen clone size and another great story to tell his students, Burt’s studies on
744-611: The merging of Fish Lake National Forest and Glenwood National Forest , the forest covers 1.5 million acres (6,100 km ) and is split into four districts. The forest lies in parts of nine counties. In descending order of forestland area, they are Sevier , Millard , Piute , Beaver , Wayne , Juab , Garfield , Iron , and Sanpete counties. Forest headquarters are located in Richfield with local ranger district offices in Beaver , Fillmore , Loa , and Richfield. The national forest
775-631: The name "asbestos forest" by Canadian Forest Ecologist Lori Daniels. There is broad consensus that wildlife controls and protection from deer and elk who feed on the new growth faster than it can reach maturity is critical. Such protection systems are only meaningful if they are coupled with ongoing monitoring and restoration efforts, which are under way. Friends of Pando and the United States Forest Service are official partners working to study and protect Pando and work alongside Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to care for and protect
806-516: The symbols were "full of lichen, full of green stuff." In his book, Faded Footprints , George Thomspon includes a picture of the hieroglyphs, but labels them as being from Clear Creek Canyon instead. A plaque at the interpretive office reads, "Panels with similar symbols have been found throughout the Great Basin and as far west as the coast of California.” Some of the glyphs were retraced by visitors to make them more visible. In order to protect
837-541: The tree's landmass. Pando spans 1.08 km × 0.72 km (0.67 mi × 0.45 mi) at its widest expanse along of the southwestern edge of the Fishlake Basin and lies 0.69 km (0.43 mi) to the west of Fish Lake, the largest natural mountain freshwater lake in Utah. Pando's landmass spreads from 2,700 m (8,900 ft) above sea level to approximately 2,773 m (9,098 ft) above sea level along
868-426: The tree's vast root system, a process known as "suckering". The root system is estimated to be several thousand years old, with habitat modeling suggesting a maximum age of 14,000 years and 18,000 years by the latest (2024) estimate. Individual stems do not typically live more than 100–130 years. Mitton and Grant summarize the development of stems in aspen clones: ... quaking aspen regularly reproduces via
899-407: The western side of a steep basin wall. Pando is estimated to weigh collectively 6,000 tonnes (6,000,000 kg), or 13.2 million pounds, making it the heaviest known organism . The Pando Tree's 43-hectare (106-acre) expanse also makes Pando the largest tree by landmass. Systems of classification used to define large trees vary considerably, leading to some confusion about Pando's status. Within
930-799: Was inconsistent with the Forest Service 's post ice-age estimate. Glaciers repeatedly formed on the Fish Lake Plateau over the past several hundred thousand years and the mountains above Pando's landmass were crowned by glaciers as recently as the last glacial maximum . Ages greater than approximately 16,000 years therefore require Pando to have survived at least the Pinedale glaciation , something that appears unlikely under current estimates of Pando's age and modeling of variation in Pando's local climate. A 2017 paper by Chen Ding et al. seems to support US Forest Service claims that Pando could not be older than
961-701: Was likely over 10,000 years old. More recent observations, however, have shown seedling establishment of new aspen clones is a regular occurrence and can be abundant on sites exposed by wildfire . These findings are summarized in the U.S. Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System : Kay documented post-fire quaking aspen seedling establishment following 1986 and 1988 fires in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, respectively. He found seedlings were concentrated in kettles and other topographic depressions, seeps, springs, lake margins, and burnt-out riparian zones. A few seedlings were widely scattered throughout