ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Conserv. Sci.
Sec. Plant Conservation
The investigation and construction of a risk assessment system for alien plants in Shenzhen
- YL
Yiying Liao 1
- LM
linping Meng 2
- TY
Tuo Yang 3
- YL
Yunjng Liu 4
- YC
Yinghui Cheng 3
1. Fairy Lake Botanical Garden (CAS), Shenzhen, China
2. Agricultural Technology Extension Center of Xingguo County, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi, China, Ganzhou, China
3. Fairy Lake Botanical Garden Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
4. Guizhou Normal University,Guiyang550000, Guizhou，China, Guiyang, China
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Abstract
The rapid urbanization of Shenzhen, a major city in southern China, has facilitated the introduction and spread of alien plant species, posing a significant threat to local biodiversity. The lack of comprehensive research and risk assessments necessitates the development of a scientific assessment system for systematic evaluation and management. This study aimed to: (1) compile a comprehensive list of alien plants in Shenzhen; (2) develop a pre-assessment and risk assessment system to classify invasion risks; and (3) propose targeted preventive and control measures based on validated assessments. Our survey documented 335 species of alien plants in Shenzhen, which belong to 60 families and 206 genera. These species are mainly concentrated in the families Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, Poaceae, Solanaceae, Fabaceae, and Euphorbiaceae. The risk assessment system for alien plants in Shenzhen covers five aspects of risk: introduction risk, colonization risk, spread risk, potential harm and impact, and control risk. An integrated assessment system was developed for both plants (not yet introduced and already introduced), with 11 and 12 secondary indicators and 41 and 44 tertiary operational indicators, respectively. Validation using 50 alien plant species demonstrated a perfect alignment between the system's risk categorizations and pre-defined classifications based on field observations, confirming its reliability. Consequently, recommendations for introduction management are proposed, including risk level classification and differentiated management. This research provides guidance for the monitoring and management of alien plants in Shenzhen.
Summary
Keywords
Alien plants, Invasive plants, Multi-indicator, Risk Assessment, Risk level
Received
08 June 2026
Accepted
11 August 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Liao, Meng, Yang, Liu and Cheng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Yiying Liao; Yinghui Cheng
Disclaimer
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