Restoration of leafy spurge sites at national parks and wildlife refuges of the northern Great Plains

Leafy spurge is an invasive Eurasian perennial introduced into the U.S. as a contaminant of crop seed in the 1880s and 1890s. It typically forms near-monocultures in rangelands and natural areas of the northern Great Plains. Because all parts of the plant contain latex, it is not consumed by naturally occurring herbivores or cattle, but the biological control program has been successful. Our studies have found, however, that the native vegetation does not necessarily return to sites after leafy spurge has been reduced by biological control. This portion of our long-term studies investigates the mechanisms by which leafy spurge dominates and limits recruitment of native plants. Such information will assist resource managers as they [...]