:huey-lewis: a classic:
Overgrazing by deer and elk is one of the biggest worries. Wolves and cougars once kept their numbers in check, but herds are now much larger because of the loss of these predators.
Deer and elk also tend to congregate in Pando as the protection the woodland receives means they are not in danger of being hunted there.
Fungus/disease and climate change are the other issues facing Pando, the former being devastating to older trees.
Devastating in particular because it’s a clonal colony so the fungus devours and there is no capability for immunity to evolve 😔