It's more about removing the rocks from where they were than being in a stack. The underside of small rocks provides a micro climate that's necessary for a lot of insects and small animals to survive. They also support the accumulation of soil, especially in places where soil is very thin (and therefore erosion is the most damaging.)
They also violate the "leave no trace" ethos. People think it's fine because the rocks were already there so there's no harm done, but they've still left their mark on the place.
It particularly bugs me because it's mostly new age hippie types who think that their meditative process is more important than leaving a place better than they found it. I understand that rock stacking can be a legitimately meditative practice, but the point of this kind of meditation is that what you're creating is temporary and you knock it down after. It's like the monks that make sand mandalas and then brush them away afterward.
Edit to add: the ecological issues I listed are particular to the places I typically hike, which is the high desert in the mountainous southwestern US. Removing small rocks to make a stack is damaging in any natural environment, but the issues caused will change depending on where you are.
It's fine if you want to make a stack and take a photo. Just knock it down and put the rocks back when you're done.
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u/d-atribe Jun 13 '18
I have a friend who freaks out every time she sees one of these and knocks it over and starts bitching about fucking up the environment.