Risk Assessment and Spread Potential of Alien Wetland Plant Species Thalia dealbatain China

This study examined the spread potential of alien wetland plant species Thalia dealbata in China using an adapted Australia Weed Risk Assessment System,climate match model(MaxEnt)and frozen experiment in winter.Thalia dealbata achieved a score of 18 by the adapted Australian Weed Risk Assessment System,far beyond the cutoff value given by the system(6).According to the results given by MaxEnt,Thalia dealbata was able to grow on the east side of the line formed by Beijing,Zhengzhou,Xi ’ an,Chengdu and Lijiang.Jiangsu Pro-vince,Zhejiang Province and Southeastern part of Anhui Pro-vince were especially suitable for the growth of Thalia dealbata.According to the results of the frozen experiment,the plants that stayed in cold storage of 0℃ for two months were still able to accomplish their life cycle,although their biomass and flower number were significantly lower than those that stayed in cold storage for a shorter period of time.In conclusion,our results suggest that Thalia dealbata had invasive potential and was able to grow in most areas in China.