Monday 26 September 2016

Aspen Clone


    Trembling Aspen populate a good bit of the landscape in our corner of the Robson Valley.  Aspen trees reproduce largely through sending out sprouts from the roots which develop into trees.  As these sprouts mature and spread further, the result is a big area of trees that have exactly the same genetic makeup as the mother tree.  They are clones of the parent.  
    This becomes most evident in the spring and fall when the tree leaves out or the leaves turn color, because all of the trees in the clone react at exactly the same time and have the same coloration.  The largest known clonal colony of aspen is located in Utah and named “Pando.”  Because this colony is basically the same tree, it is considered to be the oldest and heaviest living organism on earth.  It is thought to be 80,000 years old and weighs six million kilograms (6,000 tons).  
      In the photo above you can see a aspen clone with bright yellow foliage in the middle of the picture.

You can view my paintings at:  www.davidmarchant.ca

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