Sunday, December 10, 2006 - 10:59 AM
0087

Biological control of invasive plants through collaboration between China and the United States: Challenges and prospects

Jianqing Ding, dingjianqing@yahoo.com, Invasion Ecology and Biocontrol Lab, Wuhan Botanical Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Moshan, Wuchang, Wuhan, Hubei, China

Survey and screening of host-specific natural enemies in the invasive plant’s original areas is the key to a successful biological control program. Many invasive plants in the USA were originally from China and vice versa , for example, among 58 invasive plants listed by Illinois Natural History Survey, 24 species (41%) are native to eastern Asia or China, and another 20 species were originally introduced from Eurasia including China as well. The USA and China share similar physical and climatic environments, collaboration on biological control of invasive plants between the two countries not only benefits each other for the exchange of natural enemies, but also helps to share knowledge and information on those plants that are invasive in both two countries. The purposes of this presentation are: (1) to review the exchange of natural enemies between the US and China in the past 20 years, in particular the successful screening and introduction of natural enemies; (2) to report the current status of the on-going collaborative programs on biological control of invasive plants between the two countries, with emphases on new projects on Hydrilla verticillata, Sapium sebiferum, Rubus ellipticus, Polygonum cuspidatum, Ailanthus altissima and Trapa natans ; (3) to evaluate the potential target weeds for biological control in the near future for both; and (4) to discuss challenges we may meet from politics and regulation issues for the future’s exchange of natural enemies between two countries.



[ Recorded presentation ] Recorded presentation