There are more than 500 species of alien invasive plants in China.

In recent years, these exposed alien invasive plants have caused serious losses to China's ecosystem and economic development. The latest survey shows that there are more than 500 alien invasive plants in China.

Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, in conjunction with Shenyang University, Beijing Normal University, Hexi University, Hanshan Normal University and other 8 scientific research institutions in China, after 3 years of field investigation, specimen arrangement and literature review, the latest identified alien invasive plants in China are 72 families, 285 genera and 515 species. Among the 100 most threatened alien species published by the World Conservation Union, 50 species have been found in China.

According to biological characteristics and ecological characteristics, natural geographical distribution information of origin, invasion scope, harm to ecological environment and impact on national economy, researchers divided 515 alien invasive plants into five grades. Among them, there are 34 species of grade 1 malignant invasive plants, 69 species of grade 2 serious invasive plants, 85 species of grade 3 local invasive plants, 80 species of grade 4 general invasive plants and 247 species of grade 5 unobserved invasive plants.

The investigation found that almost all provinces in China were "captured" by alien invasive plants from cities to villages, from coastal areas to inland areas, and even alien invasive plants were found in many national nature reserves. Southwest and southeast coastal areas are the "hardest hit areas" of alien plant invasion. Among the 515 invasive alien species, 108 species were distributed in the southeast coastal areas. Yunnan Province has the most invasive alien plants, up to 334 species, while Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has the least invasive alien plants, up to 43 species.

The proportion of invasive alien plants originating in South America is the largest, followed by North America, and the sum of the two accounts for more than half of all invasive plants. Compositae, Leguminosae and Gramineae constitute the main invasive alien plants in China. There are 222 invasive alien plants in the "three families".

Academician Chen Xiaoya, director of Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, said that biological invasion has spread all over the world, not a national or regional problem. With the acceleration of global economic integration and the development of China's economy, the process of biological invasion in China is also accelerating. China has a vast territory, spanning nearly 50 latitudes and 5 climatic zones. Most exotic species from all over the world can find suitable habitats in China. Effective prevention and control of alien invasive plants, first of all, we must have first-hand information, find out the family background.

On the basis of the "Report on the Investigation of Alien Invasive Plants in China," the Ministry of Science and Technology officially launched the compilation of "Annals of Alien Invasive Plants in China" in Shanghai a few days ago, comprehensively sorting out the background data of alien invasive plants in China,"filing files" for more than 500 kinds of alien invasive plants, and strictly controlling them.

It is planned to complete the five-volume book in four years, containing more than 500 kinds of alien invasive plants (including related relatives). Not only will the transmission history of each invasive species, the distribution status and harmfulness of each invasive species in China, and the distinguishing characteristics from domestic relatives be introduced in detail, but also images and specimens of each invasive plant will be collected. With pictures and texts, the database has been built and opened to the public.