Plants Colonizing Disturbed Areas in Fifteen Rocky Mountain Environments - Weeds and Reclamation Candidates

Abstract

We list plants whch are commonly established in road cuts in fifteen major Northern Rocky Mountain environmental types. We expect them to establish well on new disturbances in the same environmental types. Thus, our list of natives can be used to choose plants for reintroduction of natives to construction sites and other disturbed areas; additional data on life form, aggressiveness (cover), and altitudinal distribution will be useful for choosing among seeding candidates and selecting seed sources for the reseeding. And, our list of establishing exotics will identify the weeds most likely to colonize a site, their aggressiveness on disturbed sites, and their capacity to enter adjacent undisturbed vegetation; this list will caution against introduction of certain exoti (e.g. Poa pratensis, Phleum pratense, and most Trifoliums-- as well as noxious weeds) and will be the basis for plans to control locally noxious exotics early and aggressively.