Assessment of the South-to-North Water Transfers Project (Middle-Route) on the Invasion of Plant Species

The South-to-North Water Transfers Project will provide a new pathway-water dispersal-for plant invasion.We compared the difference in flora between the water supplying area(i.e.,Danjiangkou Reservoir Region)and water receiving areas of the project.A modified Australian and New Zealand weed risk-assessment system(WRA) were used to identify vascular plants,which occurring in the water sup-plying area but absent in the water receiving areas with potential invasiveness.Consequently,a secondary screening system concerning the dispersal and productive capacities was applied for further evaluation.There are 145 species absent in the water receiving areas in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Region.Of which,40.8% were non-invasive plants,43.5% required further investigation,and 7 species were invasive.These 7 species were aquatic and wetland species implying that the project might influence the wetland and aquatic ecosystems in the water receiving areas.