Browsing by Author "Ma, Qu"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effects of climatic and social factors on dispersal strategies of alien species across China
    (Elsevier, 2020-12) Zhou, Quanlai; Wang, Lixin; Jiang, Zhiyang; Wu, Jing; Cui, Xue; Li, Xuehua; Musa, Ala; Ma, Qu; Yu, Haibin; Wang, Yongcui; Earth Sciences, School of Science
    Determination of dispersal strategies of alien species and its relationship with social and climatic factors are essential to understand the mechanisms of species invasion and adaption. Based on morphological trait, dispersal mode, and dispersal agent of diaspore of 562 alien species across China, we determined: (i) the proportions of five dispersal strategies (i.e., autochory, anemochory, hydrochory, zoochory, and anthropochory), (ii) the relationships between the dispersal strategies and socio-climatic factors in 34 administrative regions across China, and (iii) the correlations between different dispersal strategies. Anthropochory, zoochory, and anemochory account for nearly 90.0% of all the dispersal strategies of alien species. Mean frost days (MFD), mean annual humidity (MAH), and gross domestic product (GDP) were the main climatic and social factors that were correlated to different dispersal strategies. Zoochory was positively related to MFD, but negatively related to the autochory and anthropochory. MAH negatively influenced the anemochory, while GDP positively influenced the hydrochory. We classified the six dispersal strategies into two groups based on the correlations among dispersal strategies, group I included autochory and anthropochory, and group II included anemochory, hydrochory, and zoochory. Within a group, dispersal strategies were positively correlated, while between groups, dispersal strategies were negatively correlated. Positive correlation between different strategies might be co-owned while negative correlation between different strategies might not be co-owned by one alien species. Understanding the characteristics of the dispersal strategies of alien species is important for policy makers when controlling the dispersal of malignant invasive alien species, predicting the distribution, and decreasing or cutting off the dispersal pathways of invasive alien species.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Geographical distribution and determining factors of different invasive ranks of alien species across China
    (Elsevier, 2020-06) Zhou, Quanlai; Wang, Yongcui; Li, Xuehua; Liu, Zhimin; Wu, Jing; Musa, Ala; Ma, Qu; Yu, Haibin; Cui, Xue; Wang, Lixin; Earth Sciences, School of Science
    Determination of the geographical distribution and life-form spectra of alien species with different invasive abilities are essential to understand the process of invasion and to develop measures to manage alien species. Based on six classifications of Chinese alien species, environmental and social data, we determined species density, life-form spectrum of alien species, and the relationship between species density of alien species and climatic or social factors. The species density of alien species increased from the northwest to the southeast regions of China for all the six ranks. The boundary line between low and high species density of alien species was consistent with the dividing line of population density (the “Hu Line”). Mean annual precipitation was the most important factor for species density in malignant invaders, serious invaders, local invaders, and species requiring further observation (Ranks I, II, III, and V, respectively). Gross domestic product per square kilometer and annual minimum temperature were the most important factors in mild invaders and cultivated aliens (Ranks IV and VI, respectively). Annual and biennial herbs made up 52.9% to 71.2% of total species in Ranks I to IV; shrubs and trees 3.7% to 14.7%. The annual and biennial herbs were 35.5% and 32.6%, and the shrubs and trees were 25.3% and 31.6% in Ranks IV and VI. Results implied that precipitation was the most important factor on species density for the invasive alien species. However, social factors and temperature were the most important factors for the non-invasive alien species. The invasive alien species had a high proportion of annual and biennial herbs and non-invasive alien had a high proportion of shrubs and trees. It is important to understand the geographical distribution and life-form spectra of various invasive alien species for alien species controls.