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Invasive Species and Food Security

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Environmental Change and Food Security in China

Part of the book series: Advances in Global Change Research ((AGLO,volume 35))

Abstract

This chapter defines invasive species, noting that they may arrive in new areas either intentionally or unintentionally, and it discusses their economic and non-economic effects. It provides examples of plant, insect, fish, and other invasive species, which have impacts on food production. Immediate environmental stressors, such as socio-economic change, cause the unintentional transmission of invasive species. In recent years, improved domestic transportation systems in China as well as rapidly growing international trade and tourism have increased opportunities for invasive species to enter China, as has climate change. China recently has strengthened regulations to better protect against the spread of invasive plants and insects, and some scientists, influenced by global guidelines issued by the World Conservation Union, recommend using the precautionary principle to eliminate threats. To the present, four methods have been used to prevent or control harmful invasives: physical, biological, chemical, and integrated pest management. Scientists and government officials also are developing research, outreach, and international cooperation strategies to counter the growing invasive species challenge.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Handbook of the Convention on Biological Diversity. London: Earthscan Publications, 2001. For an interpretation of invasive species in the Chinese context see, among others, Yan Xie, Zhenu Li, William P. Gregg, and Dianmo Li, “Invasive Species in China – An Overview,” Biodiversity and Conservation, Vol. 10, no. 8 (2000), 1318.

  2. 2.

    Xie et al., 2000, 1321.

  3. 3.

    Ibid., 1324. See also E. N. Anderson, The Food of China. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988, and Shiu-ying Hu, Food Plants of China. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 2005.

  4. 4.

    Qixian Yi and Li Hua, “Strengthening Quarantine of Plants Introduced from Taiwan,” Plant Quarantine, Vol. 12 (1997), 185–87.

  5. 5.

    Linming Qiu and Guosheng Deng, Developing Technology for Special Freshwater Species Aquaculture. Beijing: Zhongnan Industry University Press, 1994.

  6. 6.

    Xiaogang Xu, Xinquan Zhang and Yanqi Wu, “A Discussion of Some Problems in Introducing and Breeding Turfgrass in China,” Grassland of China, Vol. 1 (1999), 57–61.

  7. 7.

    Yan Xie, Alien Invasive Species in China. ed from http://www.chinabiodiversity.com/shwdyx/ruq/ruq2-4n.htm on October 16, 2007.

  8. 8.

    Haigen Xu and Sheng Qiang, Inventory: Invasive Alien Species in China (in Chinese). Beijing: China Environmental Sciences Publishing Co., 2004.

  9. 9.

    Personal interview with invasive species specialist, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, May 21, 2007.

  10. 10.

    Xie et al., 2000. Duplicated in Biodiversity Working Group/CCICED, 1997–2001, Conserving China’s Biodiversity (II). Beijing: China Environmental Sciences Press, 2001, 101–24. Page numbers for this section follow the 2001 publication.

  11. 11.

    Also see Ren Wang and Yuan Wang, “Survey of Damage Caused by Alternanthera philoxeroides and its Biological Control in South China,” Journal of Weed Science, Vol. 2 (1988), 38–40.

  12. 12.

    Xiumei Li, “Research Progress on Comprehensive Control of a Serious Weed – Ambrosia,” Weed Science, Vol. 1 (1997), 7–10.

  13. 13.

    Jianqing Ding, Ren Wang, and Zhongnan Fan, “Distribution and Infestation of Water Hyacinth and the Control Strategy in China,” Journal of Weed Science, Vol. 9, no. 2 (1995), 49–51.

  14. 14.

    Yunchao Li, Huansheng Zhang, Yisheng Han, and Denghua Xu, “Preliminary Investigation on American White Moth in Qinghuangdao,” Journal of Forestry Science and Technology, Vol. 4 (1991), 29–30.

  15. 15.

    Xiaohua Sun, “Biological Measures Used to Clear Forests,” China Daily, September 22–23, 2007, 3.

  16. 16.

    Guifang Cheng and Jikun Yang, “Preliminary Report on New Quarantine Pest Insect—Opogona sacchari Bojer—Found in Beijing,” Plant Quarantine, Vol. 11 (1997), 95–101.

  17. 17.

    Fuxiang Wang, “Occurrence and Comprehensive Prevention and Cure of Vegetable Leaf Miner,” Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, Vol. 2 (1997), 34.

  18. 18.

    Hongjun Wei, “Occurrence and Continuous Control of American Rice Water Weevil in China,” Plant Quarantine, Vol. 11 (1997), 60–62.

  19. 19.

    Junxing Yang, “The Alien and Indigenous Fishes of Yunnan: A Study on Impact Ways, Degrees and Relevant Issues,” Biodiversity Working Group/CCICED, Conserving China’s Biodiversity (II). Beijing: China Environmental Science Press, 2001, 161–62.

  20. 20.

    Hanxiong Cai and Rizhong Chen, “New Pest – Amazonian Snail,” Guangdong Agricultural Sciences, Vol. 5 (1990), 36–38. Also see Ziyun Li, “Invasive Snail, Other Species Threaten China’s Eco-Security,” World Watch Institute, September 12, 2006.

  21. 21.

    Qingguang Lu, “The Importance of Classical Biological Control to Biodiversity Protection,” Chinese Biodiversity, Vol. 5 (1997), 224–30.

  22. 22.

    Yan Xie, ed., Bioinvasion and Ecological Security in China (in Chinese). Shijiajuang, Hebei: Hebei Science and Technology Publishing, 2007, 301–18.

  23. 23.

    Cited in Dennis Normile, “Invasive Species: Expanding Trade with China Creates Ecological Backlash,” Science, Vol. 306, no. 5698 (2004), 968.

  24. 24.

    Xinhua, “Scientists Address Alien Invasion,” China Daily, December 14, 2007, 3.

  25. 25.

    Chuan Qin, “Invasive Species Costly to Ecology,” China Daily, May 21, 2004, 2.

  26. 26.

    Editorial Committee, China’s Strategy for Plant Conservation. Guangzhou: Guangdong Press Group, 2008, 27.

  27. 27.

    People’s Daily Online, “Invasive Species Cause $1.4 Trillion of Losses a Year: Scientists,” http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6806481.html (retrieved November 27, 2009).

  28. 28.

    Jianqing Ding and Yan Xie, “The Mechanism of Biological Invasion and the Management Strategy,” in Biodiversity Working Group/CCICED, Conserving China’s Biodiversity (II). Beijing: China Environmental Science Press, 2001, 133.

  29. 29.

    Wang, 1997, 35.

  30. 30.

    See: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/features_analyses/2009-06-03/content_17880215.htm (retrieved November 27, 2009).

  31. 31.

    See Haigen Xu, Sheng Qiang, Zhengmin Han, Jianying Guo, Zongguo Huang, Hongying Sun, Shunping He, Hui Ding, Hairong Wu, and Fanghao Wan, Biodiversity Science, Vol. 12, no. 6 (2004), 626–38.

  32. 32.

    See Ding and Xie, 2001, 138.

  33. 33.

    Jeffrey A. McNeely, “Human Dimensions of Invasive Alien Species: How Global Perspectives are Relevant to China,” in Biodiversity Working Group/CCICED, Conserving China’s Biodiversity. Beijing: China Environmental Sciences Press, 2001, 170.

  34. 34.

    Ding et al., 1995, 51.

  35. 35.

    Danming Zhang, Fuchun Zhang, and Jianming Wang, “Invasive Migration and Selection of Habitat of Brown Rat in Arid Regions of Inland China,” in Wuping Xia and Jie Zhang, Evolution of Beasts under the Impact of Activities of Humans. Beijing: Science and Technology Press of China, 1993, 37–38.

  36. 36.

    Weixiao Chen, “Invasive Foreign Species Threaten China’s Biodiversity,” Science and Development Network at http://www.scidev.net/en/news/invasive-foreign-species-threaten-china-s-biodiver.html (retrieved November 27, 2009).

  37. 37.

    The pinewood nematode is believed to be native to the United States. It feeds on fungi within the wood and on living plant cells surrounding the resin canals of pines. The pine sawyer beetle carries the nematode in the tracheae of its respiratory system, and thus spreads them from tree to tree. Huge populations of nematodes develop in the trees, causing them to wilt and die. It appears that the pinewood nematode arrived in China in packing materials of US or Japanese containers in the early 1980s, spreading to coastal cities from Beijing to Guangzhou. See: Bruce Fraedrich, “Pinewood Nematode.” Charlotte, NC: Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory Technical Report, 1999; also see abstracts, International Symposium on Pine Wilt Disease Caused by the Pine Wood Nematode. Beijing, 1995; and “Pine Wilt Disease – Pathogen Biology” at http://www.apsnet.org/education/lessonsplantpath/PineWilt/pathbio.htm (retrieved February 29, 2008).

  38. 38.

    Xie et al., 2001, 104.

  39. 39.

    Yanghan Li, China Weeds. Beijing: Agriculture Press, 1998, 1617.

  40. 40.

    Zhe Zhu, “460 Tons of Tainted Soybeans Returned,” China Daily, September 29–30, 2007, 1, 2.

  41. 41.

    Peter T. Jenkins and Harold A. Mooney, “The United States, China, and Invasive Species: Present Status and Future Prospects,” Biological Invasions, Vol. 8 (2006), 1591.

  42. 42.

    Xie, 2007, 321, 511.

  43. 43.

    Sandra Anagnostakis, “Revitalization of the Majestic Chestnut: Chestnut Blight Disease,” APS News Release, December 2000 at http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/chestnut/ (retrieved February 29, 2008).

  44. 44.

    Ding and Xie, 2001, 137.

  45. 45.

    Personal interview with entomologist, Plant Protection Institute, Beijing, May 29, 2007.

  46. 46.

    Hongyi Wang, “Hyacinth Jams City’s Waterways,” China Daily, October 13–14, 2007, 3.

  47. 47.

    Personal interviews with climate scientists in Beijing, August 28, 2006; March 14, 2007, and May 25, 2007.

  48. 48.

    Personal interview with invasive species specialist, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, May 21, 2007.

  49. 49.

    Interview with entomologist, Beijing, March 15, 2007.

  50. 50.

    See C. Shine, N. Williams, and F. Burhenne-Guilmin, Legal and Institutional Frameworks on Alien Invasive Species: A Contribution to the Global Invasive Species Programme Global Strategy Document. Bonn, Germany: IUCN Environmental Law Programme, 2000.

  51. 51.

    See: http://www.gisp.org/about/members.asp (retrieved October 21, 2007).

  52. 52.

    The precautionary principle is Principle 15 of Agenda 21, adopted at the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development in 1992. It is defined as: “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation.”

  53. 53.

    McNeely, 2001, 175.

  54. 54.

    See Biodiversity Clearing-House Mechanism of China, http://english.biodiv.gov.cn/rdwt/200603/t20060323_30675.htm (retrieved October 21, 2007).

  55. 55.

    Ibid.

  56. 56.

    Ding and Xie, 2001, 111.

  57. 57.

    Editorial committee, 2008, 27.

  58. 58.

    Jiao Wu, “Ministry Ups Ante on Pest Control,” China Daily, August 20, 2007, 3.

  59. 59.

    Ibid.

  60. 60.

    Editorial Committee, 2008, 28.

  61. 61.

    Ding and Xie, 2001, 128.

  62. 62.

    Ibid., 129.

  63. 63.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/enviornment/2008/jun/30/pollution.olympicgames2008 (retrieved July 24, 2008).

  64. 64.

    Jianqing Ding and Weidong Fu, “Biological Control: Conservation of Biodiversity by Using Biodiversity,” Biodiversity, Vol. 4, no. 4 (1996), 222–27.

  65. 65.

    Ding and Xie, 2001, 129.

  66. 66.

    Ibid.

  67. 67.

    Ding and Xie, 2001, 142.

  68. 68.

    Ibid., 129.

  69. 69.

    Ibid., 143–44.

  70. 70.

    Ibid., 129.

  71. 71.

    China Environment Forum, “An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion: Invasive Species Challenges and Collaboration Globally and Between the U.S. & China,” October 19, 2005.

  72. 72.

    See Xie et al., 2001, 108.

  73. 73.

    These future directions correspond closely to the action plans on alien invasive species outlined in China’s Strategy for Plant Conservation: “Action 10.1 Establishing and improving related laws and regulations and emphasizing risk assessment of alien organisms... Action 10.1 Enhancing scientific research on alien invasive organisms.... Action 10.3 Enhancing inter-departmental information exchange and actively initiating international cooperation... Action 10.4 Enhancing technical training and public education of alien invasive organisms.” See Editorial Committee, 2008, 28–29.

  74. 74.

    Xiaofu Xie, Plant Introduction (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1994.

  75. 75.

    Ding and Xie, 2001, 103.

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  1. University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, USA

    Jenifer Huang McBeath & Jerry McBeath

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McBeath, J.H., McBeath, J. (2010). Invasive Species and Food Security. In: Environmental Change and Food Security in China. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 35. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9180-3_6

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