Hungarian professor visiting UM (Montana) finds 99 invasive weed species on Mount Sentinel
On a switchback overlooking the Missoula Valley, Robert Pal knelt
down and pulled a Jim Hill mustard plant aka tumbleweed
from the arid soil alongside the trail.
The plants stems included tens of thousands of seeds waiting to
burst forth and proliferate. The European invader will be hard to
eradicate now that its here.
Plant invaders have the capability of taking over and they can decrease
plant diversity once they do, said Pal, a visiting professor at the
University of Montana. When you look at what causes the most
species extinction on Earth, biological invasion ranks second
behind habitat destruction.
Pal, a botanist and ecologist from the University of Pecs in Hungary,
recently arrived at UM on a Marie Curie Fellowship. He stepped off the
plane eager to study the mysterious flora of western Montana, doubtful
he would have much luck in naming what he saw at a glance.
http://missoulian.com/news/local/hungarian-professor-visiting-um-finds-invasive-weed-species-on-mount/article_9e4679de-0965-11e4-9d1d-001a4bcf887a.html