Report prepared for the Experts Meeting Towards the Implementation of a Global Invasive Species
Information Network (GISIN), 6-8 April, 2004. Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Page 73
8/30/2004
Information Management for
Invasive Alien Species in China
Yan XIE, Director, Interdisciplinary Research
Promoting Center, Institute of Zoology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, 25 Beisihuan Xilu,
Beijing, 100080 China
Abstract
China is the world's third largest country
and one of the richest in terms of biodiversity. A
wide range of habitats and environmental
conditions makes China especially vulnerable to
the establishment of invasive species of foreign
origin. Alien species occur in each of China's 34
provinces, municipalities, and autonomous
regions.
This paper will show the distribution
patterns of invasive alien species (IAS) based
on distributions, taxonomy, biology, and other
features of 128 of the most serious IAS in China.
They will be used to show the IAS problem in
each of these units and their higher divisions.
The paper will review information management
status of relevant sectors and the Chinese
Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Three key recommendations on
improving information management for IAS in
China will be presented. The first one is that it is
important to manage IAS information together
with native species. The second is that using
biogeographical divisions will help with
understanding the status and impact of IAS. The
third is that the Internet is the most powerful
data sharing mechanism.
Keywords: China, IAS, Distribution, Information,
Management, CSIS
Introduction
Research by the Chinese Academy of
Sciences has described the distribution
patterns of 90 known invasive alien plant
species, representing 31 families in China. It
has shown that many areas in southern
China have been affected by alien species.
Several regional or national alien invasive
species information systems are available
online in Chinese, including the Exotic
Plants Information System of China at
the China Invasive Species Network at
.jsp, and the China Species Information
Service (CSIS) hosted on the Conserving
China’s Biodiversity Web site at
These sites allow users to search for
information such as species lists,
transmission patterns, quarantine
methodologies, biology, and experts. The
Conserving China’s Biodiversity Web site is
managed by the Protected Areas Task
Force/China Council for International
Cooperation on Environment and
Development, and the Institute of Zoology,
CAS in China. It serves invasive species
research information online in English and
Chinese, along with a searchable database
that returns species fact sheets, taxonomic
data, distribution maps, and bibliographic
information.
The CSIS is focusing on improving
information management in China in four
main ways: 1) working with biogeography
units, 2) linking with native species
information systems, 3) linking with
protected area systems, and 4) developing
criteria for defining and selecting invasive
species for inclusion in the database.
Working with Biogeographic Divisions
China is divided into 124 biogeographic
units based on characters such as altitude,
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