Nonnative Species

The National Park Service defines a non-native species as one that occurs as a result of direct or indirect, deliberate, or accidental actions by humans. This definition recognizes that parks are places intended to preserve natural, ecologically balanced communities. Often non-natives disrupt this balance.

Mountain Goats

Mountain goats, introduced by the state of Colorado's Division of Wildlife to the Mount Evans area, occasionally make their way north to the park. Because these animals carry diseases that can infect bighorn sheep, and also compete with the native sheep for food, the park has taken active measures to remove goats that enter the park. Usually the goats are captured and taken back to Mount Evans. However, park policy permits shooting of goats if they cannot be trapped.

Non-Native Plants

Non-native plant species may dramatically change a visual landscape by completely dominating an area that once held a mix of native species. Leafy spurge, a plant that has been found in Rocky Mountain National Park, is an example of a species that has had this type of impact where it has been left uncontrolled. Another non-native plant of concern, common burdock, has been documented to fatally trap hummingbirds with its sticky sap.

At the present time, treatment for non-native species includes the full range of IPM techniques, including the use of synthetic herbicides. The complet plan can be read at the following here..

 

Non-Native Plants Reported from Rocky Mountain National Park

Common Name	Scientific Name	Abundance
Crested Wheatgrass	Agropyron cristatum	Unknown
Quackgrass	Agropyron repens	Uncommon
Redtop	Agrostis gigantea	Uncommon
Pale alyssum	Alyssum alyssoides	Common
Amaranth	Amaranthus retroflexus	Common
Rag-weed, Skeletonleaf bursage	Ambrosia tomentosa	Uncommon
Fiddleneck	Amsinckia menziesii	Common
Mayweed Chamomile	Anthemis cotula	Common
Common Burdock	Arctium minus	Uncommon
Asparagus	Asparagus officinalis	Rare
Yellow Rocket	Barbarea vulgaris	Uncommon
Hoary Alyssum	Berteroa incana	Common
Smooth Brome	Bromopsis inermis	Common
Cheat Grass	Bromus tectorum	Common
Smallseed Falseflax	Camelina microcarpa	Common
Shepherd's Purse	Capsella bursa-pastoris	Common
Musk Thistle	Carduus nutans ssp. macrolepis	Abundant
Caraway	Carum carvi	Common
Diffuse Knapweed	Centaurea diffusa	Uncommon
Spotted Knapweed	Centaurea maculosa	Uncommon
Mouseear chickweed	Cerastium fontanum	Unknown
Ox-eye Daisy	Chrysanthemum leucanthemum	Rare
Canada Thistle	Cirsium arvense	Common
Bull Thistle	Cirsium vulgare	Rare
Poison Hemlock	Conium maculatum	Uncommon
Bindweed	Convolvulus arvensis	Rare
Horseweed	Conyza canadensis	Common
None	Conyza schiedeana	Uncommon
Marsh Elder	Cyclachaena xanthifolia	Unknown
Houndstongue	Cynoglossum officinale	Common
Orchard Grass	Dactylis glomerata	Uncommon
Tansy Mustard	Descurainia sophia	Common
Deptford Pink	Dianthus armeria	Rare
Yellow Whitlowort	Draba nemorosa	Common
Filaree	Erodium cicutarium	Unknown
Wormseed mustard	Erysimum cheiranthoides ssp. altum	Unknown
Leafy spurge	Euphorbia esula	Uncommon
Thyme leafed spurge	Euphorbia serpyllifolia	Unknown
Sheep Fescue	Festuca ovina	Uncommon
Baby's Breath	Gypsophila paniculata	Rare
Dame's Rocket	Hesperis matronalis	No data
Orange Hawkweed	Hieracium aurantiacum	Rare
St. John's Wort	Hypericum perforatum	Unknown
Beggar's-tick	Lappula redowskii	Unknown
Peppergrass	Lepidium densiflorum	Uncommon
Clasping Peppergrass	Lepidium perfoliatum	Uncommon
Colorado Wild Rye	Leymus cinereus	Rare
Dalmation Toadflax	Linaria genistifolia ssp. dalmatica	Common
Butter-and-eggs, Yellow Toadflax	Linaria vulgaris	Abundant
Tarweed	Madia glomerata	Common
Scentless Chamomile	Matricaria perforata	Unknown
Red Catch Fly,White Cockle	Melandrium dioicum	Uncommon
White Sweet-clover	Melilotus alba	Common
Yellow Sweet-clover	Melilotus officinalis	Common
Field peppergrass	Neolepia campestris	Unknown
Scotch thistle	Onopordum tauricum	Rare
Reed Canary Grass	Phalaroides arundinacea	Uncommon
Timothy	Phleum pratense	Common
Annual Bluegrass	Poa annua	Unknown
Bulbous Bluegrass	Poa bulbosa	Unknown
Kentucky Bluegrass	Poa pratensis	Common
Sulphur Cinquefoil	Potentilla recta	Uncommon
Curly Dock	Rumex crispus	Common
Russian-thistle	Salsola australis	Common
Russian Thistle,Tumbleweed	Salsola collina	Common
Giant salvinia	Salvinia molesta	Unknown
Bouncingbet	Saponaria officinalis	Unknown
Jim Hill Mustard	Sisymbrium altissimum	Common
Marsh sowthistle,Swamp sow-thistle	Sonchus uliginosus	Uncommon
Sand Spurry	Spergularia rubra	Unknown
Common Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	Abundant
Fanweed	Thlaspi arvense	Unknown
Salsify	Tragopogon dubius	Uncommon
Wheat	Triticum aestivum	Unknown
Great Mullein, Wooly Mullein	Verbascum thapsus	Common