How do invasive plants spread?
Invasive plants spread in many ways. People enjoying various land-and water-based recreational activities can unknowingly spread invasive plant seeds, roots and pieces of reproductive foliage. Cyclists and ATV users on grasslands, campers moving among parks, guide outfitters packing in hay for their horses, and boaters launching their boats into a lake are examples of how recreational users can unknowingly introduce invasive plants. Land clearing, logging cutblocks, gravel pits, utility lines, pipeline rights-of-way, transportation corridors and urban development create soil disturbances favourable to plant establishments. Excessive grazing by livestock and wildlife can also create an optimal environment for invasive plants to establish and expand their range. All of these activities create an ideal seedbed for invasive plants. Invasive plants can also spread through seed mixes for forage, crops, land rehabilitation, erosion control, wildflowers and birds, which sometimes unintentional
