Arid Lands Ecology Reserve

The Arid Land Ecology Reserve (ALE) is the largest tract of shrub-steppe ecosystem remaining in the U.S. state of Washington.

[1] Though the US Fish and Wildlife Service has attempted to re-introduce native flora, the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve is currently dominated by non-native species such as cheatgrass, knapweeds, and Russian thistle (tumbleweed) [2] which flourished after the 2000 fire.

Other species such as spiny hop sage and Wyoming big sagebrush were decimated by the fire and in its aftermath.

[1] Rare plant species such as Mountain Milk Vetch and Piper's daisy can be found in this area.

[1] From the early 1800s to around the 1940s this area was used as animal pasture, human homesteading, oil drilling and development of infrastructure such as roads.