Warming will shift West’s weeds, study finds

Some will vanish, creating opportunity to restore areas, researchers say

SALT LAKE CITY – Climate change will likely shuffle some of the West’s most troublesome invasive weeds, adding to the burden faced by farms and ranchers in some areas and providing opportunities for native plant restoration in others, according to a new study.

In many cases, a warming climate will provide more welcoming conditions for invasive plants to get a foothold, spread quickly and crowd out native species, the study by Princeton University researchers said.

But some invasives may retreat from millions of acres in the West