I think one of the reasons Russian Olive in MT WY and Dakotas, really isn't a threat to native vegetation is all the wildlife that eat the seeds. By Spring or late Winter the trees are picked clean.
Lots of shelter groves of Russian Olives in that country. But very few volunteer Olive trees.
During the bad Winters [last year] pheasants and native grouse flock into these groves. I dare say pheasant populations in the West would be very spotty if not for the Russian Olives.
So the USDA and USF&WS have declared war on the Russian Olive, plans are to eradicate RO's on federal land. It's also illegal now for nurseries to sell RO seeds or plants.
Thing is, most RQ"s are on private land. How many landowners are going to Doze their windbreak.
Sure! where RO's are a threat to wildlife and useful plants go ahead and get rid of them.
Fact is, if your a pheasant hunter, woody seed bearing trees like the RO are imperative to pheasants, pheasant habitat, pheasant hunting, and the future of pheasant hunting.
There is a quite a "ALL NATURAL ALL NATIVE" movement going on in the USA
Pheasants just don't fit in.
