A comparison of a natural, undisturbed ecosystem, a mid‐elevation sage community, with a severely disturbed old roadbed through this community revealed that more than 99% of the plant cover in the natural community was mycorrhizal (vesicular‐arbuscular), whereas less than 1% of the plant cover in the disturbed area (roadbed) was mycorrhizal. Examples of nonmycorrhizal plants as primary successional species in severely disturbed habitats are discussed. The importance of maintaining or re‐establishing the mycorrhizal fungal component in reclamation programs designed to produce stable ecosystems is emphasized.