page_title: Ruderal species
section_title: See also
hierarchical_section_title: Ruderal species / See also
caption_attribution_description: A mixed-species ruderal community, growing on the road-side ground, next to road 40, north of the Yarkon river, Israel.
context_page_description: A ruderal species is a plant species that is first to colonize disturbed lands. The disturbance may be natural – for example, wildfires or avalanches – or a consequence of human activity, such as construction or agriculture.
  The word ruderal comes from the Latin rudus, meaning "rubble".
  Ruderal species typically dominate the disturbed area for a few years, gradually losing the competition to other native species. However, in extreme disturbance circumstances, such as when the natural topsoil is covered with a foreign substance, a single-species ruderal community may become permanently established. In addition, some ruderal invasive species may have such a competitive advantage over the native species that they, too, may permanently prevent a disturbed area from returning to its original state despite natural topsoil.
context_section_description: Edge effect
  Hemeroby
  Pioneer species
  Restoration ecology
  Supertramp (ecology)
  Examples of  ruderal species:
  Cannabis ruderalis (family Cannabaceae)
  Conyza bonariensis (family Asteraceae)
  Dittrichia viscosa (Asteraceae)
  Nicotiana glauca (Solanaceae)
caption: A mixed-species ruderal community on the side of Israel's road 40, north of the Yarkon River, where topsoil was left after the road-building activity.
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