Stewardship and Ecological Threats
The next time you’re hiking the trails of this beautiful park, think about this: All of the plants, animals, and natural processes of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park’s natural communities are interdependent. An ecological threat to one piece of a community is a threat to the entire community.
Park staff and volunteer groups help meet the challenges of ecological threats by active stewardship of the natural communities at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP).
The goal of natural resource management in the park is to maintain healthy, functioning natural communities, while at the same time meeting the needs of human populations that the park serves. Good stewardship anticipates problems that might arise, and attempts to minimize the threats. It also supports recovery after challenges do occur.
What are some of the threats facing plants, animals, land, and rivers at Harpers Ferry NHP? What are park staff and volunteers doing to be responsible stewards of natural communities? What can you do?
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Non-native invasive plants can smother natural vegetation and destroy habitat needed by native animals.
Non-native insect pests can kill particular plant species or whole forests, with few predators to keep them in check.
Diseases imported from other parts of the world can wreak havoc on native plants and animals with little immunity to them.
A population spike of a native species can cause trouble.
Some species are at risk of disappearing from Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, or already have.
Oriental bittersweet leaves – James H. Miller; (inset) Oriental bittersweet berries – Al Schotz; Hemlock Woolly Adelgid – Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station; Dogwood Anthracnose – John Hartman; Deer in wintry forest – Milo Pyne; Peregrine Falcon (juvenile) – Becky Matsubara.