Non-indigenous plant species along roadsides and other transportation routes in the Mackenzie Valley

Abstract

Non-indigenous or introduced plant species are accidentally or deliberately moved by people travelling to new continents, countries and regions. These species sometimes threaten indigenous or native species, because they do not have natural predators to keep their numbers from exploding. The Canadian North and other Arctic regions traditionally have lower numbers of introduced species than other places, mainly because there are not many routes or corridors for these species to travel along. As more northern transportation routes, such as the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline connect the Canadian south to the North, will more non-indigenous species arrive? How will they change the habitat?