Restoration means improving conditions to allow native species to recover in its natural habitat. In Wolverine Meadow it meant removing invasive European Buckthorn that is considered harmful to native biodiversity. Common buckthorn, native to Europe and Asia, is a highly invasive perennial understory shrub or a small tree that can reach heights of 20- 30 feet and 10 inches in diameter. This species was introduced to North America as an ornamental shrub and used for living fence rows and wildlife habitat. Since its introduction, it has spread aggressively across most of the northeast, upper Midwest and Yellowstone County and has become a serious threat to the degradation of native forest understory habitats where it out-competes native plant species.

 

Ripened berries drop directly beneath the plants where a dense understory of seedlings is eventually produced. The fruits are also highly attractive to birds and small mammals that aid in the spread of seeds to new areas, sometimes several miles from the initial infestation. Due to the spread of seeds via birds, buckthorn is extremely hard to control and eradicate.