More than 660 alien species invade China's ecosystem

In recent years, African snails, Hyphantria cunea, Blattella germanica, bullfrog, Pomacea canaliculata, crayfish, these invasive alien species have gradually come into the Chinese public view.

On June 2, the Ministry of Ecological Environment released a report that more than 660 alien invasive species have been found in China. Among them, 71 have threatened or could threaten the natural ecologic system. A total of 215 alien species have invaded national nature reserves in China.

China is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world.

According to the report, 106,509 species have been discovered in China, including 49,044 belonging to the animal kingdom and 44,510 the plant kingdom.

However, with the increasing number of invasive alien species, prevention and control of exotic species have become one of the critical tasks for China to strengthen biodiversity management and ensure biological safety.

There are 406 rare endangered species in the country, among which more than 100 are only found in China, such as the giant panda, the golden monkey, the Tibetan antelope, and the Chinese alligator.

A total of 2,471 vertebrate species need to be concerned and protected, accounting for 56.7 percent of the total.

The disappearance of forests, the destruction of the biological environment, grassland degradation, desert expansion, frequent sandstorms, and water pollution are all closely related to the invasion of exotic organisms that undermine the stability of the ecosystem.

"The problem of alien species threatened human environment and ecological security, requires the joint efforts of all countries in the world." Wu Kongming, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said that the invasion of alien species has gradually become one of the most concerning environmental issues in the world.

Wu believed that international colleagues should exchange the latest research results promptly. Continuing make efforts in basic research on invasive alien species and the improvement of relevant laws and regulations.

What is more, China should establish a national monitoring system for the prevention and control of invasive alien species, to provide strong support for sustainable development, protect the environment, and ensure biological safety.

China was supposed to host the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in October this year in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, which has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.