Testing the effectiveness of assisted dispersal to fill a new climactic niche in the Northern Great Plains

The movement of ecotypes into new regions as the climate shifts has been one proposed way of creating resilient communities. North Dakota, is an ideal location to test the concept of assisted dispersal because of our current dominant species—cool-season invasive grasses. These invasive grasses green-up in the early spring. The climate has shifted toward longer growing seasons, creating a new niche in the environment in the early spring, which is dominated by invasive grasses. Our aim is to increase competition in that niche by introducing southern ecotypes of native cool-season grasses.