Social concern of exotic plants

The problems about exotic plants are not only the ways and means of diffusion of plants themselves, but also the unpredictable ecological impact they have produced is even more worrying. The great concern of the international community urges people to improve their comprehensive understanding of exotic plants. Personally, they should be aware of the introduction of plants, and management departments at all levels, such as agriculture, forestry, environmental protection and quarantine, should attach great importance to the issue of exotic plants from national interests and laws.

The international community has paid enough attention to the global problem of exotic plants as a discipline. Since 195s, botanists, entomologists, ecologists, economists and sociologists from all over the world have started to touch this field. The Scientific Committee on Environmental Issues (SCOPE) under the World Science Union has launched a research plan on "Biological Invasion Ecology". In more than 1 years, this plan has studied the spread and influence of exotic plants and animals. Blackwell Science Publishing House founded the international publication Diversity and Distributions with the theme of "Biological Invasion Biology", and Kluwer Science Publishing Company also launched an international publication Biological Invasions in 1999. The number of original papers published in American Science Weekly increased from several in 1995 to more than 8 in 26. Facts show that China is one of the countries suffering the most from the invasion of exotic plants. Recently, statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture of China show that there are more than 4 alien plants invading China. Among the 1 most threatened alien species in the world published by IUCN, China accounts for more than 5 species. The annual economic loss is more than 57 billion RMB.

According to the statistics of various countries, invasive plants are still the main invasive species, and their number and influence are increasing. Due to the inevitability of global trade development, more alien species will invade, and transportation, immigration, tourism and commodity trading are in direct proportion to the number of alien species. It is inevitable that species diffusion will accelerate in the future, which will make some species more numerous, while others will be reduced or even extinct. However, the overall impact may lead to serious damage or even loss of species diversity and genetic diversity on a global scale. Due to the "great adjustment" of species directed by human interests, how the earth's environment will be maintained in the future, and how the biosphere after this adjustment will affect human society, all need to be carefully studied and thought by natural science researchers and social managers, in order to make our earth run healthily.

The research on plant invasion in China began in the mid-199s. Although some progress has been made at present, it is only in the stage of overview, qualitative and fuzzy observation, and it is still lagging behind compared with the international advanced level. In 23, the State Environmental Protection Administration announced the first batch of 16 alien invasive species (9 species of plants), and established the "Management Office for Preventing the Invasion of Alien Forestry Pests" of the State Forestry Administration, and issued the "List of Forestry Dangerous Pests". However, these provisions are only limited to the control of agricultural weeds, pests and diseases, and there are no provisions or regulations for invasive plants to destroy the ecological environment. In the investigation from 21 to 23, half of the alien invasive species in China were terrestrial plants, followed by terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and microorganisms, 49.3% of which were unintentionally introduced, 3.1% were naturally diffused, and the other species were artificially introduced.

The invasion of exotic creatures has affected almost all the ecosystems in China ―― forests, grasslands, waters, wetlands, farmland, urban areas and so on.

China is a big agricultural country, and it is in the process of transformation from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture. The invasion of alien pests has become more and more prominent in agricultural transformation and production, which has posed a serious threat to China's sustainable economic development and ecological security.

The harm of alien biological invasion has attracted great attention of the government of China. The Ministry of Science and Technology organized and carried out research on topics including the "973 Plan", the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" supporting plan "Prevention and Control Technology of Alien Invasive Species in Agriculture and Forestry", and the basic work special project of the Ministry of Science and Technology "Investigation on Alien Invasive Species and Their Safety", and set up nearly 2 national biological invasion working groups throughout the country. Major research projects have also been carried out in provinces that are seriously endangered by the invasion of alien organisms.

The research on biological invasion in China has made a breakthrough in both theoretical understanding and prevention and control technology. Among them, the research results of China scientists on the invasion mechanism and characteristics of Bemisia tabaci, Eupatorium adenophorum and Bursaphelenchus xylophilus are particularly outstanding. The scientists of the project team led by Wan Fanghao found that there was "asymmetric mating interaction" between Bemisia tabaci B, which was listed as the most dangerous invasive organism in the world by the World Conservation Union, and the indigenous Bemisia tabaci. This mechanism promoted the growth of the population of Bemisia tabaci B, and at the same time suppressed the growth of the indigenous Bemisia tabaci population, thus promoting the rapid invasion and expansion of Bemisia tabaci B and replacing the harmless indigenous Bemisia tabaci. The paper of this research result has been published in the authoritative journal Science.

In terms of biological invasion prevention and control technology, China has established four technical systems: early warning and blocking system, emergency control system, blocking and extinguishing system, and sustainable comprehensive defense and control system. In order to ensure the prevention and control of alien harmful species from the system, some experts also suggested that the Law on the Management of Alien Pests should be formulated as soon as possible, and an expert committee should be established to give advice and suggestions to government departments so as to prevent the invasion of harmful alien species in a timely and effective manner.