Regional and Historical Variation in Garlic Mustard Distribution in Western Massachusetts 2006-2007

The susceptibility of a site to invasion by nonnative species depends on its current ecological features and its historical land use. Certain environments might be more conducive to an invasive plant’s success, and several recent studies have shown that former agricultural sites are more susceptible to invasion than sites that have been continuously wooded. We studied the invasive herb garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), at roadside forested edges. Site selection was stratified by two regions with distinct ecological characteristics (the Connecticut River Valley and the Berkshire Valley in Massachusetts), and two historical land uses (wooded versus cleared in 1830).