On this field trip we were restoring order in the eyes of nature. In one station we were clearing out large chunks of unwanted vegetation, known as invasive species. Due to the nature of invasive species such as buck-thorn which contain thorns, which prevent animals from consuming them, eventually nothing is there to slow the plant down from reproducing and spreading all through the environment, thus killing the plants that were naturally there first. We took a very thick area heavily populated by buck-thorn bushes and cleared it all out completely so that the natural plants such as oak and long grasses can begin to grow again. I honestly thought this project was a little strange. I understood the objective, which was to clear the invasive species out so that trees and grasses could re-grow in their natural habitat, but it seemed odd that we went to a nature center and started to viciously rip the vegetation out of the ground. Yes a forest needs a little maintenance to keep things healthy, but I do not think that people need to go destroy everything just so other plants can get a second chance at life. Life will find a way, and yes I understand that ecologists just try to speed up the process, but if those invasive species are there, there is probably a long-term reason for that.
The next two stations we were at was concentrated on planting seeds to restore lost growth of certain grasses. In one of the stations we walked around a dry field dropping seeds for long grass so that it would repopulate a grass deprived area. I understand the objective on this one. We were trying to restore the growth of a depleted grass in that location. Invasive species took over that area, thus not allowing the grass to flourish properly. We were just trying to speed along the process of the grass reproducing and spreading quicker. On our last station we took a very rare seed, that can sell for $1000 an ounce, and were also planting those seeds in a similar dry field of various grasses. I understand the objective of this station as well. The seed that we were handling was extremely hard to come by, so we were helping nature out by planting the seeds in that field so the grass can get a head start on the germination process.
All in all, I think that restoration ecology should not be as huge as it is. I understand that people are trying to restore balance to an ecosystem, but in a sense they are kind of messing with how nature wants it to be. It is essentially natural selection that certain plants and animals made it and other didn't. That being said I don't think that people need to stick their noses into things trying to restore it to the way they think it should be. Life will find a way.
