Distribution of invasive plants in China in relation to geographical origin and life cycle

Abstract

Huang Q‐Q, Wang G‐X, Hou Y‐P & Peng S‐L (2011). Distribution of invasive plants in China in relation to geographical origin and life cycle. Weed Research51, 534–542.SummaryAt a continental scale, research on which areas are more likely to be invaded has often found that human socio‐economic factors and biogeographic factors are important. This general pattern also holds for China, where invasive plant species richness at a provincial scale has often been found to be significantly correlated with both socio‐economic (e.g. human population size and total GDP) and biogeographic factors (e.g. latitude and native plant species richness). However, these patterns are based on studies that considered invasive plants collectively rather than examining patterns within major subgroups. Here, we examine the potential role of species differences in mediating these distribution patterns in Chinese provinces. We show that distribution of invaders from Central and South America, especially perennials, is mainly determined by biogeographic factors, whereas distribution of invaders from North America and Eurasia, especially annuals, is mainly determined by socio‐economic factors. The predictive power of biogeographic factors for invaders from Central and South America is stronger than socio‐economic factors for invaders from North America and Eurasia. The role of socio‐economic and biogeographic factors is not entangled; instead, their relative importance is dependent on species characters, such as their geographical origin and life cycle. Management and prevention policies at a national scale should consider the interactions between species characters and socio‐economic and biogeographic conditions of the environment. Our results indicate that by examining the role of species differences, we may get a more realistic understanding of the cause of distribution patterns of biological invaders.