The distribution and economic losses of alien species invasion to China

Abstract

Invasive alien species have become one of the most serious environmental issues in the world. Data of taxon, origin, pathway, and environmental impacts of invasive alien microorganisms, invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, herbs, trees, and, marine organisms in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems of China were analyzed during 2001 and 2003, based on literature retrieval and field survey. There were 283 invasive alien species in China, and the number of species of invasive alien microorganisms, aquatic plants, terrestrial plants, aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, fish, and mammals were 19, 18, 170, 25, 33, 3, 10, and 5, respectively. The proportion of invasive alien species originated from America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania were 55.1, 21.7, 9.9, 8.1, and 0.6%, respectively. Methods for estimation of direct economic losses to agriculture, forestry, stockbreeding, fishery, road and water transportation, storage, water conservancy, environment and public facilities, and human health were established. Methods for estimation of indirect economic losses caused by invasive alien species to service functions of forest ecosystems, agricultural ecosystems, grassland ecosystems, and wetland ecosystems were also established. The total economic losses caused by invasive alien species to China were to the time of USD 14.45 billion, with direct and indirect economic losses accounting for 16.59% and 83.41% of total economic losses, respectively.