Disturbance and Invasive Plants: Introduction

Wild Horses on a Former Great Basin Shrubland Destroyed by Livestock Grazing, Invasive Plants, and Fire.

In the invasive plant literature, disturbance refers to an event that removes plants and alters the soil surface. “Disturbance is believed to be the major factor favoring plant introductions” (Radosevich et al. 2007: 58). Without disturbance, invasive plants would find no openings to become established and begin to spread and replace native species.

It is important to understand the nature and origin of disturbance that leads to plant invasions, because, as with global warming, it is often profitable to deny human responsibility for invasions so that a disturbance activity can continue. Continue reading →