In a bid to eradicate goldenrod from the city, the government of Wuhan is encouraging residents to report any findings of the plant, which is classified as a harmful alien species.

Goldenrod is one of the most successful and widespread alien plant species. It is often referred to as "the flower of the devil", as it spreads extremely fast and causes other plants to die.

Besides Hubei province, the plant has also been found expanding in other provinces such as Jiangxi and Zhejiang.

Although local authorities have tried to eliminate the plant, it is proving to be a difficult task. Goldenrod represents just one of the alien species that are a great threat to the country's native species. Statistics show that as of last year, nearly 800 kinds of alien species had invaded the country, among which 638 species have invaded the country's agricultural and forestry ecosystems, causing direct economic losses of about 200 billion yuan ($31.36 billion)

At the United Nations Biodiversity Conference held in Kunming, Yunnan province, last month, the invasion of alien species was the subject of discussions, as it was regarded as one of the two most important factors leading to the loss of biodiversity－the other being human-caused ecological damage.

China enacted its Biosecurity Law on April 15, which provides the legal basis for preventing the invasion of alien species and protecting biodiversity in the country.

But it is necessary for relevant departments to strictly implement port inspections and quarantines so as to keep harmful organisms out of the country, and to strengthen early warning and monitoring systems so as to address the invasion as early as possible.

However, while government departments are making every effort to prevent and control the situation, the participation of the people cannot be ignored.

It is also necessary, as Wuhan is doing, to encourage people to pay attention to invasive species and actively play a role in keeping them at bay.

Preventing any invasion by an alien species and protecting biodiversity should not just be the government departments fighting alone, but also a people's war.

THEPAPER.CN