This past week I visited the Botanical Gardens in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Having now visited it for the second time in my life, I was more aware than ever before of how much work is put into maintaining the various environments of each miniature ecosystem and how it all relates to a changing environment. Tremendous effort is invested in keeping alive the various biome spheres throughout the park, all of which inhabit a small sample of botanical life actually found in these specific climate regions. With global warming and the rapidly changing climate being one of the greatest themes of the class, it’s interesting to think about the effect a warming climate will have on not only the city, but also one of its only sanctuaries of natural life. Responsible for the upkeep of so many different environment types, all enclosed within elaborate glass greenhouses, the one thing these structures must depend on is the stability of the natural climate itself. With rising temperatures, increased flooding, and even volatile changes in temperature/weather patterns, the sustainability of these artificial environments could potentially be in danger. The garden is in serious threat of falling victim to the altering climate, and despite the beauty it provides, the famous park can easily be shut down if the effort of keeping it stable and protected become too extreme.
Hey Rob!
I wish I was at the Botanical Gardens. It’s really sad to think that even when creating artificial environments after we destroyed the real ones, we might still fail in trying to integrate the “natural” environment back into our cities. Not to mention more buildings and zoning laws can even block the sunlight from reaching the garden’s greenhouses. More heat waves, higher temperatures creating thriving pests, and weird seasonal cycles may also harm the plants’ growth. Maybe the Botanical Gardens could try to be more resilient by choosing plants more adapted to the changing environment. Yet the extent to which they do this may decrease its beauty. 🙁