ABSTRACT

Invasions of plant species have caused signiœcant changes in structure and function of ecosystems. Biological invasions have been identiœed as a major non-climatic driver of global change [1,2]. Such changes usually have negative impacts on ecological functions of natural ecosystems at various scales and become a serious problem to environment friendly sustainable ecosystems all over the world [3-6]. Invasive plant species (IPS) have caused costs associated with environment, economy, and culture. For example, in the United States, the estimated cost of environmental damages and associated management and control of IPS is about $137 billion per year; the total amount could be several times more if one considers native species extinctions, biodiversity reduction, ecosystem services, and aesthetics [7]. Therefore, monitoring the invasion extent and speed of the IPS and eradicating IPS across their invaded areas is an important task. Traditionally, this task relies heavily on œeld-based investigations and on methods that are usually expensive and time-consuming [6].