PARENT SESSION
Symposium 2: Biological Invasions: Species Exchanges Between Eastern Asia and North America.
Organized by: YD Choi, RN Mack, S Maio, and H Li
Monday, August 2, 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Oregon Ballroom 203.
Exchange of grass species between the U.S. and China: Ecological scope.
Winner, William1, Xie, Yan2, Wang, Sung2, 1 National Science Foundation, Arlington, Va2 Institute of Zoology, Beijing, China
ABSTRACT- The commercial importation of grass seeds from North America into China is an important mechanism of species exchange between continents. Grass seeds imported into China are used for forage, greening urban areas, and for erosion control along reservoirs, roads, and deforested areas. The import of grass seeds from Oregon, alone in 2001 - 2002 was more than 4,600,000 kg with an economic value of more than $6.5m to Oregon agriculture. The most important species, by weight, consist of tall fescue (60%), Kentucky blue grass (16%), perennial ryegrass (12%), and annual ryegrass (10%). Extensive GIS activities are underway to map soil type, climate features, and topography to guide selection of grass species for use in China. Grass selections are being developed for specific habitats and applications, and expectations are for continued increases in import of grass seed from the U.S. into China. Tests of forage and turf grasses imported into China are underway, and are centered in universities and research institutes throughout China. Extensive academic exchange programs involving faculty members and students exist between China and the U.S. Research typically involves analysis of forage quality, growth rates, nutrition, disease resistance, turf quality management, and seed production. Now is the time to expand efforts in ecological research. Priorities for ecological studies should include monitoring the current extent of alien forage and turf grass species in China, assessing the potential for hybridization between invasive and native species in China, and predicting the future extent of invasive grass species under different management scenarios. Additional studies should involve further research with grass species native to China to better understand their ecological roles and their potential to provide forage, turf, and erosion control. The focus of the research should be to support management of grass seed import using an ecologically based risk analysis system.
Key words: China, grass