Powerful winds can topple trees and tear up shrubs in the forest. And this can create an opening for invaders, plants that don’t belong there. “Storm disturbance provides opportunities for these invasive plants to establish and spread in new places,” said Daniels, a former graduate student in the University of Illinois department of natural resources and environmental sciences, where Larson is an assistant professor. She said that invasive plants can push out native plants and make the restoration of native trees and plants more difficult. Read full story on NexusMedia.