Evolving Highways Dataset

RIDOT began a reduced roadside mowing maintenance regimen to conserve funds and decrease CO2 emissions about a decade ago. To better understand the effects of altering roadside mowing regimes, we developed an experimental design to capture the effects of this reduced mowing on roadsides in different zones and in sites throughout the state. The specific aim was to monitor invasive plant colonization in areas where mowing has been reduced or eliminated because it is often assumed that reducing mowing will lead to an increase in invasive plant colonization. Data was gathered using Modified-Whittaker vegetation surverys.