Invasive aquatic plants in China
Aquatic invasive alien plants cost the Chinese government millions of US dollars each year in control and management costs. Species such as Alternanthera philoxeroides (EPPO A2: Chenopodiaceae) and Eichhornia crassipes (EPPO A2: Pontederiaceae) form dense floating mats which impede human activities in invaded waterbodies and at the same time alter the ecology of the habitat reducing favourable conditions for native species. In the present study, an analysis was conducted on invasive aquatic plant species in China. Information was gathered from online databases and journals, and from grey literature. In total, 152 aquatic invasive plant species were recorded from China belonging to 39 families and 84 genera. Most aquatic species recorded in this study were introduced from South America (25.6 %), followed by North America (23.6 %), Asia (15.13 %), Africa (8.55 %) and Australia and New Zealand (0.6 %). The majority of species identified in the study (146 species) are freshwater species and only 6 species were identified as occurring in marine intertidal or estuarine habitats. Since the introduction of exotic species into China is not regulated, it is likely that more non-native aquatic plant species will enter China in the future.
Sources
Wang H, Wang Q, Bowler PA, Xiong W (2016) Invasive aquatic plants in China. Aquatic Invasions.