Invasion of Bromus tectorum L. into Western North America: An ecological chronicle

Abstract

Bromus tectorum L., the most ubiquitous alien in steppe vegetation in the intermountain West of North America, entered British Columbia, Washington, and Utah ca. 1889–1894. By ca. 1928 the grass had reached its present distribution occupying much of the perennial grasslands in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and British Columbia as native grasses dwindled with overgrazing and cultivation. In the process this cleistogamous winter annual may have competitively displaced both native colonizers (including cleistogamous us annual grasses) as well as the dominants of climax stands. The spread of B. tectorum demonstrates the degree of success an alien may achieve when preadaption, habitat alteration simultaneous with entry, unwitting conformation of agricultural practices to the plant's ecology and apparent susceptibility of the native flora to invasion, are all in phase.