Spatial similarity in the distribution of invasive alien plants and animals in China

With ongoing development of global economy and increasing trade between countries, China faces increasingly serious invasions by alien species, causing great harm and potential disasters to agriculture, forestry and natural environment. According to a national survey of invasive alien species in China, there are 265 species of invasive alien plants and 171 species of invasive alien animals in China, most of which are widely distributed. In general, there are more invasive species, either plants or animals, in the south than in the north, and more in coastal areas than in interior areas. The distribution of first detection locations of invasive alien plants and animals shows a similar pattern. The cluster analyses showed that the distribution of invasive alien plants and animals was significantly influenced by geographical region, and the alien species of invasive plants and animals were similar in the same geographical region. Thus, the overall distribution of invasive alien plants and animals are spatially similar in China. The results remind us an ongoing invasion pressure from other countries to China and from the provinces with more invasive species to the provinces with less invasive species. Considering different biological and ecological characteristics of plants and animals, common social-economic factors and environmental conditions in each province lead to such similar spatial patterns, supporting the distribution prediction of establishment possibility based on the invasive pest assemblages.