Woody and aquatic plants pose greatest invasive threa...(trade in China will have a twofold effec...)

Date:4/30/2008

trade in China will have a twofold effect: new species will be introduced into the country at an ever-increasing rate, and greater reliance on railway transportation will cause habitat degradation, providing alien plants with viable environments for rapid range expansion. The authors stress the need for immediate management of invasives in China, as well as other parts of Asia, to keep this momentum from gathering speed and causing further problems for poor farmers who live on marginal land. Weber and Li further state that any developing country benefiting from economic expansion and international trade should be wary of the greater potential for invasion of alien plant species.

Weber and Li recommend that China and its neighbors act to develop and maintain an efficient system of invasive species control now, before existing invaders begin their rapid expansion and before new invaders are introduced. Such a program should include a complete inventory of naturalized plant species in China to identify potentially invasive species, protocols for the introduction of alien species into China, a quick-reference guide to the invaders that require more intensive monitoring, and greater international cooperation in research on invasive species and border protection.

'/>"/>

Contact: Holly Menninger hmenninger@aibs.org 202-628-1500 American Institute of Biological Sciences Source:Eurekalert

0 GOOD

Page: 1 2
Related biology news :

1. U-M ballast-free ship could cut costs while blocking aquatic invaders
2. Common aquatic animals show extreme resistance to radiation
3. Researchers view swimming tactics of tiny aquatic predators
4. Study shows genetically engineered corn could affect aquatic ecosystems
5. Boost for green plastics from plants
6. Nitric oxide regulates plants as well as people
7. NC State researchers identify genes key to hormone production in plants
8. Researcher discovers pathway plants use to fight back against pathogens
9. Insects take a bigger bite out of plants in a higher CO2 world
10. Systems biology approach identifies nutrient regulation of biological clock in plants
11. A common genetic mechanism discovered in nitrogen-fixing plants