Trampling Alpine Habitats: Humans vs. Humans

Alpine ecosystems exist atop the highest peaks of the Adirondacks, hosting plants with adaptations to the windy conditions, varying temperatures and poor soil but none adaptable to their largest unprotected threat – humans. We trample over these plants who are already struggling to survive. Yet we as humans do try to undo our damage by providing aid to these alpine habitats. Although we cannot make up for our destruction in the alpine areas, our moral efforts to reestablish what is natural proves that we are more than an entirely damaging invasive species.

These alpine plants have been around since the glaciers passed about 12,000 years ago. These plants were spread throughout the Adirondacks until the temperatures warmed. Now isolated to only 16 "islands in the sky", the plant communities are threatened by so many hiking visitors. Alpine scientist Ed Ketchledge has enlisted many volunteers to spread fertilizer and seed around the peaks and inform hikers of the fragile habitats under foot.

This problem is thematically similar to almost everything we've learned about in the Adirondacks. It all comes down to a simple pattern: humans come to the Adirondack park and cannot live sustainably, the park suffers ecologically, and lastly, humans try to undo their actions. (Saying "humans" doesn't refer to the Native Americans who lived peacefully in the region before Europeans came.) Often we are able to restore the park's natural beauty, but then again I really don't feel comfortable calling something unnaturally remade natural "natural".

But our moral hatred of our unnaturalness in the park is what separates us as a species from every other invasive species that causes damage to the park. Environmental morality is really all we can depend on if we hope to maintain a sustainable Earth going forward.


Sources: Adirondack Life p. 28-33 June 2016