The invasion of <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> in Yueqing Bay with in situ photos (a-f) and the UAV images (g-i).

<p>(a) <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> located around the mudflat area in Ximen; (b) <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> covered almost all of the bare mudflats around the mangrove seedlings area; (c) Tidal creeks in <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> salt-marshes; (d) and (e) The invasion of <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> were in the reclamation area near the urban land; (f) The small <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> patches; (g) The invasion of <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> covered the mudflats around the mangrove seedlings area with UAV images in the same region of (b); (h) The small <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> patches can be identified in the UAV images, which is a very important data in further study to model population and community dynamics and to study the interactions between spatial pattern and ecosystem processes of <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> in Yueqing Bay; (i) <i>S</i>. <i>alterniflora</i> covered the mudflats around the mudflat cultivation area imaged by UAV platform.