DOI: 10.5061/dryad.xksn02vng
title: Present status, future trends, and control strategies of invasive alien plants in China affected by human activities and climate change

description: Invasive alien plants (IAPs) have serious environmental and economic
 impacts, especially in vulnerable areas of China. However, IAP richness
 distribution patterns, their driving factors, and the dynamic shifts in
 potential distribution areas remain elusive. We assessed IAP richness
 distribution patterns and drivers using 402 IAPs recorded in China at
 88,926 occurrence points, and then predicted their potential distribution
 areas. The results show that IAP hotspots were mainly located in
 southeastern China, especially coastal areas of the South and East and
 large inland cities. Population density, gross domestic product (GDP), and
 four climate variables associated with precipitation and temperature
 jointly influenced the richness distribution pattern of all IAPs.
 Specifically, population density and GDP impacted the richness
 distribution pattern of narrow-range IAPs, and population density, GDP,
 distance to the nearest national highway, and five climate variables
 affected the richness distribution pattern of widespread IAPs. Only GDP
 contributed significantly to the richness distribution pattern of the top
 5% hotspot grid cells, whereas population density, GDP, and precipitation
 in the driest month (BIO14) significantly influenced the richness
 distribution patterns of hotspots for both the top 10% and top 20%.
 Prediction analysis demonstrated that southeastern China would have a
 particularly high invasion risk under both current and future climate
 scenarios. Regions with increases in predicted species richness are more
 common (44.83%–64.97%) than those with decreases, except under the
 Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario. Climate change
 will contribute greatly to the expansion of potential IAP distribution
 areas under both optimistic (RCP 2.5) and pessimistic scenarios (RCP 8.5).
 The results of this study provide insights into the priority management of
 IAPs through developing promising strategies for the control and
 prevention of IAP invasion.
description: # Present Status, Future Trends, and Control Strategies of Invasive Alien
 Plants in China Affected by Human Activities and Climate Change
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xksn02vng](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xksn02vng) ## Description of the data and file structure Species list of invasive alien plants and naturalized plants in China, following the conceptual model of Richardson et al (2000). Richardson, D. M., Pyšek, P., Rejmánek, M., Barbour, M. G., Panetta, F. D. and West, C. J. 2000. Naturalization and invasion of alien plants: concepts and definitions. – Divers. Distrib. 6: 93–107 We compiled a more complete naturalized-plant inventory containing IAPs and naturalized plants using extensive floras, checklists, and articles about alien plants to include all IAPs recorded in previous studies. Furthermore, we added new data for IAPs collected or recorded during our own long-term field investigation and monitoring program, which was conducted in collaboration with China Customs (formerly the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau) since 2012. Then, we compiled species information and updated the scientific name of each species in accordance with the Catalogue of Life China 2022 Annual Checklist (http://www.sp2000.org.cn) to replace synonyms with the corresponding accepted names. Finally, we constructed an inventory of IAPs and naturalized plants containing 886 plants (including 23 subspecies and varieties) belonging to 433 genera and 93 families (Supporting information). Based on this inventory, we selected species with invasive status and assessed 402 plant species (including four varieties) belonging to 234 genera and 63 families for further analysis.