My dissertation research is a critical investigation of the effects of Melilotus invasion, to test its ability as a spatial and resource competitor in native montane grassland communities within Rocky Mountain National Park.  I supervised eight field assistants and several Park research employees to collect extensive species composition data and soil samples, perform soil analyses, and collect and press plant specimens. My research also employed burning and nutrient manipulations to test potential invasion control methods.  Exotic invasion, often fostered by anthropogenic disturbances, can be detrimental to the biodiversity of indigenous plant communities.  This research contributes toward our understanding of invasion impacts in native montane grassland communities, the extent that disturbed soil inhibits invasion spread, and implications for future invaders.