An Overview of China’s Policy on Spartina Control

Spartina in the estuary © Paulson Institute

 

Mid-February 2023, five Chinese government departments, including the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, together with relevant departments of the State Council, issued the Special Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Spartina (2022-2025), which sets the goal of effectively controlling Spartina alterniflora throughout China by 2025, with a removal rate of over 90% in all provinces. The Action Plan is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the coastal provinces to triumph over this invasive Spartina cordgrass and safeguard coastal ecosystems.

Spartina cordgrass is native to the east coast of North America and the Gulf of Mexico, and was introduced to China for scientific research and utilization in 1979. Due to its salt tolerance and flood resistance, strong fecundity and well-developed root system, it was considered to be the best plant for promoting sedimentation, protecting embankments, and facilitating siltation and land formation. In the following 20 years, Spartina was widely introduced in many estuaries and mudflats of coastal China. However, there have been unforeseen negative consequences. With artificial planting and natural spread, Spartina now grows on coastal mudflats from Liaoning in the north to Hainan in the south, severely altering the natural environment and ecosystem processes of China's coastal wetlands. This, in turn, has negatively impacted biodiversity and ecosystem service values, and caused significant losses to aquaculture and shipping industries, among others.

The history of Spartina control in China can be traced back to the late 1990s, when some scholars pointed out the danger of "widespread and uncurbed growth of Spartina" and recommended thorough research and development of site-specific eradication plans before implementing control projects. Later, as biological invasion became a new research topic of high interest to Chinese ecologists, the harmfulness of Spartina was further revealed, drawing the attention of the Chinese government. In order to tighten the prevention and control of Spartina, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (formerly SEPA) included Spartina in the List of Invasive Alien Species (First Batch) in 2003, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (formerly Ministry of Agriculture) included Spartina in the List of Invasive Alien Species for Key Nationwide Efforts of Control (First Batch) in 2013. Although Spartina was classed as an invasive species by China, some scholars suggested recognizing its positive ecological effects, such as wind and wave resistance, siltation and land formation, and carbon sequestration thus balancing the negative ecological effects. Since there was no strict legal basis to regulate exotic plants management at the time, and the two-sided nature of Spartina's ecological benefits had diminished the determination at the local level to eradicate this weed, control measures were not adopted fast enough to curb its rapid spread. Even in the late 2000s, Spartina was still being artificially planted in the mudflats of intertidal zones in some areas.

Fortunately, while Spartina was spreading rampantly along China's coastline, the legal and policy system for invasive species was constantly being revised and improved. The 13th Five-Year Plan for National Ecological Protection called for "actively preventing and controlling invasive alien species" and "exploring and driving the system for managing biosafety and invasive alien species". This process has accelerated in recent years.

The Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China, which was implemented in 2021, proposes to "develop a list of invasive alien species and management methods" and "enhance the investigation, monitoring, early warning, control, assessment, removal and ecological restoration of invasive alien species". It also clearly stipulates that "no organization or individual may release or discard alien species without approval." The Wetland Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, which came into force in June 2022, also provides that "it is prohibited to introduce and release alien species into wetlands, and there should be science-based evaluation and approval in accordance with the law for those that do need to be introduced". To effectively strengthen the management of invasive alien species, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the General Administration of Customs promulgated the Measures for the Management of Invasive Alien Species in August 2022, which stipulates risk assessment, monitoring and early warning, and comprehensive control of invasive alien species. This document also proposes that invasive alien plants can be controlled with manual uprooting, mechanical eradication, spraying of green chemicals, release of natural enemies and other methods during the critical growth periods such as seedling, flowering or fruiting.

At the same time, in response to the serious challenges facing coastline protection and utilization, China has introduced a series of targeted policies and invested resources to support the protection of coastal zones and the restoration of coastal wetland ecosystems, including the restoration of intertidal mudflats encroached by Spartina. For example, in 2020, the Master Plan on the Major Projects for the Protection and Restoration of China’s Key Ecosystems (2021-2035) proposed to "pursue comprehensive coastline and mudflats restoration, habitat conservation and restoration, and prevention and control of invasive alien species and ecological disasters", and "improve ecosystem quality of near-shore sea areas, restore typical habitats that have degraded and step up the protection of habitats along bird migration routes". The Plan also places particular emphasis on reinforcing the prevention and control of overgrown invasive alien species such as Spartina. In August 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration jointly issued the Special Action Plan for Mangrove Protection and Restoration (2020-2025), which focuses on " intensifying the efforts to prevent and control harmful overgrowth of species such as Spartina".

The just-released Special Action Plan for the Control of Spartina (2022-2025) was proposed in the context of the general trend that the Spartina invasion has caused a continuous decline in coastal wetland biodiversity, as well as recognizing that its invasion has not been effectively curbed and control measures are therefore much needed. In addition to a whole-territory background survey and comprehensive control, monitoring and assessment, the Action Plan will promote the ecological restoration of treated mudflats, bolster later-stage management and protection, and "adapt the measures to local conditions" by referring to the original ecosystems. At the same time, it will strengthen the scientific and technological support for Spartina prevention and control, formulate the Technical Guideline for Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Spartina to guide the precise treatment in different places, and further improve the laws and regulations and institutional system for work in this area.

It is estimated that the current area of Spartina in China is about 68,000 hectares, more than twice the area of existing mangroves and equivalent to half the size of Chongming Island. If these mudflats can be restored to their original ecological functions after the removal of Spartina, they will provide new high-quality habitats for many migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, protecting this shared natural heritage for future generations.

 

 

Spartina control pilot in Yancheng (left) and Luannan (right) © Paulson Institute


(Chinese version)

中国治理互花米草的政策概述

近日,中国国家林业和草原局等五部门会同国务院有关部门印发了《互花米草防治专项行动计划(2022—2025年)》,提出了力争到2025年全中国互花米草得到有效治理,各省份清除率达到90%以上的目标。这一行动计划无疑是为沿海各省打赢互花米草围剿战,实现全面构建坚实的海岸带生态安全屏障的目标注入了一剂强心针。

互花米草原产于北美东海岸及墨西哥湾,1979年被引入中国进行科学研究和开发利用。由于互花米草具有耐碱耐淹、繁殖力强、根系发达等特点,当时它被认为是保滩护堤、促淤造陆的最佳植物。在之后的20多年里,互花米草在中国广大的河口与沿海滩涂被广泛引种,用于促淤造陆和保滩护岸等工程,取得了一定的生态和经济效益, 但也带来了一系列危害:经过人工种植和自然繁殖扩散,互花米草在我国北起辽宁南至海南沿海海滩上均有生长,严重改变了中国滨海湿地的自然环境和生态系统过程,降低了生物多样性和生态系统服务价值,并使水产养殖业和航运业等遭受重大损失,造成了严重的生态和经济后果。

中国治理互花米草的历史可以追溯到上世纪90年代末,当时就已经有学者提出“米草蔓延成灾”的危害,并建议在实施治理工程前做周密的研究,制定因地制宜的根治方案等。之后随着生物入侵成为中国生态学界新的研究热点,互花米草的危害性也被进一步地揭示,并受到了中国政府的重视。为了加强互花米草的防控和治理,生态环境部(原国家环保总局)于2003年将互花米草列入《外来入侵物种名单(第一批)》,农业农村部(原农业部)于2013年将互花米草列入《国家重点管理外来入侵物种名录(第一批)》。虽然互花米草被国家盖了“入侵种”的帽子,但是考虑到其抗风防浪、促淤造陆和固碳等正生态效应,也有学者建议应充分发挥其正生态效应,抑制负生态效应,对其实行生态控制,同时对互花米草的生物质进行开发利用。由于彼时并没有严格的法律依据来规范外来植物的管理,而其生态效益的两面性又动摇了地方根除互花米草的决心,导致互花米草的治理进程远不敌其扩散速度,甚至在00年代末,仍有一些地区在潮间带光滩人工栽种互花米草。

幸亏当互花米草在中国沿海肆虐扩散的同时,针对入侵生物的法律和政策体系也在不断地修订完善。《全国生态保护“十三五”规划》就已经开始要求“积极防治外来物种入侵”, “探索推进生物安全和外来入侵物种管理制度化进程”。而这一进程在近几年开始加速。

2021年实施的《中华人民共和国生物安全法》提出要“制定外来入侵物种名录和管理办法”,“加强对外来入侵物种的调查、监测、预警、控制、评估、清除以及生态修复等工作”,并明确规定“任何单位和个人未经批准,不得擅自释放或丢弃外来物种”。2022年6月实施的《中华人民共和国湿地保护法》也规定“禁止向湿地引进和放生外来物种,确需引进的应当进行科学评估,并依法取得批准”。为切实加强外来入侵物种管理,2022年8月中国农业农村部、自然资源部、生态环境部、海关总署,颁布了《外来入侵物种管理办法》,对外来物种风险评估、监测预警、综合治理等作出规定,并提出对外来入侵植物的治理,可根据实际情况在其苗期、开花期或结实期等生长关键时期,采取人工拔除、机械铲除、喷施绿色药剂、释放生物天敌等措施。

另一方面,针对海岸线保护与利用的严峻形势,中国出台了一系列针对性政策,并投入了大量经费支持海岸带保护治理和滨海湿地生态修复,修复的受损湿地中也包括被互花米草侵占的潮间带滩涂。如2020年《全国重要生态系统保护和修复重大工程总体规划(2021—2035年)》提出要“综合开展岸线岸滩修复、生境保护修复、外来入侵物种防治、生态灾害防治”、 “改善近岸海域生态质量,恢复退化的典型生境,加强候鸟迁徙路径栖息地保护”,还特别强调加强互花米草等外来入侵物种灾害防治。而2020年8月,自然资源部、国家林草局联合印发《红树林保护修复专项行动计划(2020-2025年)》,也提到 “重点加强对互花米草等有害生物灾害的预防和控制”。

刚刚发布的《互花米草防治专项行动计划(2022—2025年)》更是结合互花米草入侵已造成滨海湿地生物多样性持续下降,以及其入侵尚未得到有效遏制、防治工作迫在眉睫等总体趋势而提出的。这项防治专项行动工作不但会对互花米草进行全境本底调查、综合治理和监测评估,还会推进治理后的滩涂地生态修复,强化后期管护,参照原生生态系统,“宜林则林、宜滩则滩、宜渔则渔”。另外,还会强化互花米草防治科技支撑,制定《互花米草综合防治技术指南》,指导各地精准治理,同时还会进一步完善互花米草防治法律法规和制度体系。

据估计,中国目前互花米草地面积约6.8万公顷,是现有红树林面积的2倍多,相当于半个崇明岛的大小,如若这些滩涂在清除互花米草后可以重新恢复原有的生态功能,将会为东亚-澳大利西亚迁徙路线上的众多候鸟提供新的高质量的栖息地,为我们的子孙后代守护住这些与人类同享生存空间的飞羽精灵。

 

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Prepared by Dr. Xiaojing Gan

Conservation Manager, Paulson Institute https://www.paulsoninstitute.org/staff/xiaojing-gan/

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