Crop domestication not only directly shapes phenotypic traits but also imposes selective pressure on rhizosphere microbial community assembly through dynamic regulation of root architecture and exudate composition, thereby forming host-microbial interaction networks. These networks enhance host adaptability through multiple mechanisms, significantly improving resistance to biotic stresses (e.g., pathogen infection) and abiotic stresses (e.g., drought and salinity), while optimizing nutrient uptake of key elements like nitrogen and phosphorus. These functions arise from a rhizosphere interaction system co-regulated by host genotype and environmental factors. Notably, the molecular mechanisms by which host genetic regulation drives microbiome assembly remain a core research focus. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding how crop genetic backgrounds selectively recruit microbiomes and explores the application prospects of “rewilding plant microbiome” for agricultural sustainability, providing critical insights for theoretical innovation and practical applications in this field.

The decomposition of plant litter in peatland is a key process in the ecosystem carbon cycle. The rate of litter decomposition and its underlying mechanisms significantly influence the biogeochemical cycling of peatland ecosystems. Litter decomposition is a complex process governed by the interactions of multiple factors, and increasing research efforts have focused on the effects of both biotic and abiotic factors on this process. Microorganisms, as the primary decomposers of soil organic matter, play an important role in plant litter decomposition by encoding key enzymes that drive organic matter breakdown. In peatland ecosystems, Sphagnum metabolites interact synergistically with microbial communities to jointly regulate the decomposition of plant litter. The “enzymatic latch” hypothesis has been widely used to explain the preservation and decomposition of soil organic matter. However, its applicability and underlying mechanisms remain highly debated in current research. In addition to microbial processes, a variety of biotic factors, including litter quality, plant community composition, and soil fauna, along with abiotic factors such as temperature, moisture, and light, exert significant effects on litter decomposition, either directly or indirectly. Most recent research tend to isolate single factors, while overlooking the combined influence of multiple interacting drivers. This review synthesizes the decomposition processes of plant litter in peatland ecosystems, clarifies the functional roles of microbes and soil enzymes, and explores how both biotic and abiotic factors, individually and interactively, regulate microbial communities and decomposition dynamics. These insights aim to provide a better understanding of peatland carbon cycling and conservation, ultimately contribute to climate change mitigation. Future research should further integrate novel technologies such as metagenomics, metabolomics, and stable isotopic tracing to link aboveground and belowground systems and explore the interactions among plants, microbes, and the soil environments, thereby promoting a more comprehensive understanding and effective conservation of peatland ecosystems.

Cadmium (Cd), a highly toxic heavy metal, poses significant environmental pollution and ecological risks that have become global concerns. Understanding the response mechanisms of plants to Cd stress is crucial for both pollution remediation and agricultural safety. This review systematically summarizes the environmental behavior, physiological toxic effects, and plant response mechanisms of Cd in the soil-plant system. We have demonstrated that Cd enters plants by competitively utilizing transport channels for essential metal ions such as Ca²⁺ and Fe²⁺, and triggers excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, nutrient imbalance, and cellular structure damage. Plants have evolved multi-level detoxification strategies, including cell wall immobilization through binding with pectin carboxyl groups, vacuolar sequestration mediated by chelating peptides such as phytochelatins and metallothioneins, and coordinated defense through antioxidant enzyme such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. In terms of remediation strategies, the integrated application of physical (e.g., electrokinetic remediation, nanomaterials), chemical (e.g., phosphate passivation, degradable chelating agents), and biological (e.g., low-Cd breeding) approaches has significantly improved the efficiency of Cd pollution control. Future studies should focus on the structural characterization of metal transport proteins, optimization of combined remediation technologies, and the resource-efficient use of non-edible plants to achieve the synergistic goals of environmental safety and sustainable agricultural development.

Aims The broadleaf Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) mixed forest, represents the zonal climax vegetation in eastern Northeast China. Long-term human disturbances have led to widespread degradation of primary forests into secondary poplar-birch forests. However, systematic comparative studies between these two forest types remain insufficient, limiting our understanding of the natural recovery process of broadleaf Korean pine mixed forests.

Methods Based on a 24 hm² permanent forest dynamics plot in Changbai Mountains, we applied the paired correlation function g(r) combined with the heterogeneous Poisson null model to compare the spatial distribution and interspecific association patterns of tree species between the northern secondary poplar-birch forest (early successional stage, 15.6 hm²) and the southern broadleaf Korean pine mixed forest (late successional stage, 8.4 hm²).

Important findings (1) Most tree species in both forest types exhibited scale-dependent spatial patterns, characterized by aggregation at small scales (0-10 m) and random distribution at larger scales (>20 m). Small individuals with a diameter at breast height (DBH) below 10 cm and medium-sized individuals (10 cm ≤ DBH <  30 cm) generally showed stronger aggregation than large individuals (DBH ≥  30 cm). Large individuals in the secondary poplar-birch forest were mostly randomly distributed, whereas those in the broadleaf Korean pine forest remained aggregated at small scales (0-10 m). (2) Interspecific spatial associations were predominantly random in both forest types. Large individuals exhibited a higher proportion of negative interspecific associations than small ones. Large individuals exerted strong suppressive effects on medium-sized individuals, while their effects on small individuals were more variable. (3) As a key foundation species, Pinus koraiensis exhibited aggregated distribution patterns in both forest types, although its aggregation intensity was lower in the broadleaf Korean pine mixed forest. Large Pinus koraiensis individuals showed negative spatial associations with pioneer species such as Betula platyphylla and Populus davidiana in the late successional forest, whereas small Pinus koraiensis individuals displayed significant positive associations with these pioneers species in the secondary poplar-birch forest. These findings indicate that pioneer species facilitate the establishment of Pinus koraiensis at early successional stages but become progressively suppressed and are eventually excluded as forest succession proceeds. Overall, the two forest types exhibited broadly similar species distribution and interspecific association patterns, whereas pronounced differences were observed for key foundation species, such as Pinus koraiensis. These results enhance our understanding of the natural recovery process of the broadleaf Korean pine mixed forest and provide valuable insights for forest management and restoration of temperate forests of Northeast China.

Aims Soil microorganisms play a key role in plant community dynamics. However, it remains unclear how these microorganisms influence survival and growth traits of different mycorrhizal tree species, and whether these effects vary with vegetation restoration stages, especially in tropical forest ecosystems.

Methods This study selected seedlings of three arbuscular mycorrhizal and three ectomycorrhizal tropical tree species. These seedlings were pre-inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi by planting them into natural tropical rainforest soil. Using sterilization treatments, we investigated the effects of microbial presence/absence on seedling survival and growth traits in soils from early (approximately 20 years) and late (approximately 60 years) vegetation restoration stages.

Important findings 1) Sterilization significantly increased the survival rate of arbuscular mycorrhizal seedlings in early-stage soils but reduced the survival rate of ectomycorrhizal seedlings in late-stage soils. Meanwhile, sterilization significantly increased the specific leaf area, leaf length and leaf width of arbuscular mycorrhizal seedlings in early stage, and leaf dry mass, leaf width and mycorrhizal infection rate of seedlings in late stage, while reducing leaf thickness and mean root diameter in early stage. In addition, sterilization significantly reduced the specific leaf area and mean root diameter of ectomycorrhizal seedlings in early stage. Under unsterilized conditions, above-ground biomass, leaf dry mass, leaf length, and root surface area in later stage increased. 2) With increasing plant density, the influence of soil microorganisms on seedling traits in early stage was stronger than that in late stage. In unsterilized soil, high density significantly promoted leaf dry mass, leaf length, and leaf width, whereas in sterilized soil, most traits, except specific leaf area, were suppressed. Furthermore, differences in the survival rates and growth traits varied significantly among tree species. Therefore, the influence of soil microorganisms on the survival and growth traits of seedlings varies with mycorrhizal types, restoration stages, and planting densities. Taking these factors into account to reduce the potential adverse effects of soil microorganisms may help increase the success rate of tropical forest vegetation restoration.

Aims Nematodes are a key component of belowground communities that maintain ecosystem structure and function. Global environmental changes, such as shrub encroachment and nitrogen deposition, have become key drivers of changes in belowground community structure and function. While multiple environmental factors may jointly influence biodiversity, the interactive effects of shrub encroachment and nitrogen deposition on soil nematode functional diversity remain poorly understood.

Methods In this study, we conducted a controlled experiment involving shrub removal and nitrogen addition on the eastern edge of Qingzang Plateau. We used the kernel density N-dimensional hypervolumes method to calculate nematode functional diversity and explore the response of nematodes to shrubs, nitrogen deposition, and their interactions.

Important findings Shrubs significantly increased nematode taxonomic diversity and altered their community composition, but these effects were less affected by nitrogen addition. Shrubs significantly increased nematode functional diversity, while nitrogen addition mitigated this positive effect. Shrubs altered the abundance proportion of nematodes with different diets, significantly increasing the proportion of herbivorous, bacterivorous, and fungivorous nematodes, but significantly decreasing the proportion of predatory nematodes. Moreover, nitrogen addition exacerbated the positive effects of shrub on lower trophic level nematodes and the negative effects on higher trophic level nematodes. Correlation and redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that plant biomass and soil moisture were key factors driving nematode community composition and functional traits. Our findings suggest that under future nitrogen deposition and shrub encroachment, nematode functional diversity will become more homogenized.

Aims Due to the deficiency of soil available nutrients on the Qingzang Plateau, nutrient addition can change the species diversity and composition of alpine meadows by differently affecting species or functional groups. Meanwhile, given an apparent heterogeneity in environmental conditions across elevations, the responses of species diversity and composition to nutrient addition may be vertically differentiated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nutrient addition on the species diversity and composition of alpine meadow communities at different altitudes.

Methods From 2021 to 2024, we added nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and both nitrogen and phosphorus at three altitudes (3 200 m, 3 700 m and 4 050 m), and conducted community surveys at the peak of growing season each year. We then calculated α diversity index (species richness, Shannon-Weiner index, Invsimpson index and Pielou evenness index) and β diversity index (Bray-Curtis similarity and Jaccard similarity), and quantified the relative abundance and species richness of different functional groups.

Important findings (1) The α diversity of low elevation communities was insensitive to nutrient addition, but of middle elevation communities decreased with N addition, remained unchanged with P addition, and increased with both N and P additions. By contrast, at high elevations α diversity increased significantly with nutrient addition. The differences in the response of α diversity to nutrient addition are mainly due to the abundance and diversity of plant functional groups being affected differently by nutrient addition, in particular, the colonization and local extinction of some rare species at different elevations. (2) Nutrient addition reduced the community similarity of low and mid-elevations, whereas it resulted in community homogenization at high elevations.

Aims Understanding how nutrient addition influences community assembly is essential for predicting the responses of alpine grassland ecosystems to eutrophication. However, the relative importance of deterministic versus stochastic processes following nutrient addition remains debated.

Methods We conducted a nutrient-addition experiment in the Bayanbulak alpine grassland on the southern slope of Tianshan Mountains, with four treatments: control, nitrogen (N) addition, phosphorus (P) addition, and combined N and P addition. We measured species relative abundance (SRA), aboveground biomass, and plant functional traits. Using trait-abundance relationships, the β Raup-Crick index, functional diversity metrics, niche overlap, and the responses of soil physicochemical properties to fertilization, we evaluated how nutrient addition alters the balance between deterministic and stochastic assembly, and further assessed the relative importance of environmental filtering versus limiting similarity.

Important findings Following N addition, SRA exhibited a significant positive linear relationship with plant height, while under N and NP additions SRA showed a significant negative linear relationship with seed size, indicating that taller species and species with smaller seeds became dominant via advantages in light competition and rapid colonization, respectively—consistent with trait-based niche assembly. Null-model analyses (β Raup-Crick) further revealed that between-community dissimilarity under nutrient addition was significantly lower than expected by randomization, indicating a shift from stochastic to deterministic assembly. Nitrogen-containing treatments significantly increased aboveground biomass, while significantly decreasing functional richness, functional dispersion, and Rao’s Q, and increasing niche overlap. These results suggest that nutrient addition enhanced environmental filtering, promoting functional trait convergence and species compositional homogenization. However, short-term nutrient addition did not significantly reduce species richness, likely because the regional species pool contains a relatively low proportion of rare species. Overall, nitrogen is the primary limiting nutrient for aboveground biomass in our study area, and nutrient enrichment promotes deterministic assembly by strengthening environmental filtering. These results reveal a trend toward functional convergence under nutrient enrichment and provide theoretical support for biodiversity conservation in alpine grasslands.

Aims Peat wetlands are globally significant carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots that are particularly sensitive to alien plant invasions. This study focuses on the subalpine peat wetlands of Dajiuhu in Shennongjia, aiming to reveal the impacts of the invasion of Erigeron annuus on the structure and diversity of plant communities, and to analyze the underlying ecological effects and mechanisms.

Methods The effects of invasion were comprehensively assessed by setting up paired invasion and control plots, conducting plant community surveys, analyzing species composition (functional groups) and 11 soil factors, and integrating indicators such as α and β diversity metrics.

Important findings The results showed that invasion led to decline in Poaceae and Juncaceae species, while Asteraceae, some Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae species expanded. Comparisons between invaded and control plots revealed that the dominance of previously dominant native species decreased in invaded plots, resulting in a more even distribution of species abundance. This was reflected in significant increases in the Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pielou evenness indices, while species richness showed no significant difference. However, within the invaded plots, as the dominance of E. annuus gradually increased, community composition became increasingly dominated by E. annuus and a few associated species, leading to an uneven distribution of species abundance. Consequently, Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pielou evenness indices, and species richness all decreased significantly, while the Simpson dominance index increased significantly, reflecting a substantial decline in overall α diversity. β diversity analysis showed that invasion significantly reduced species turnover and community spatial heterogeneity, leading to homogenization of species composition and functional structure. Soil environmental analysis showed that E. annuus prefers habitats with low moisture and nutrients, potentially altering the soil microenvironment through plant-soil feedback mechanisms, thereby further inhibiting wetland plants and affecting community succession trajectories. This study demonstrates the structural reorganization and functional degradation of subalpine peat wetland communities driven by E. annuus invasion, highlights the necessity of establishing long-term monitoring systems and formulating targeted prevention and control strategies, and provides theoretical support for invasive species management in subalpine peat wetlands.

Aims As human activities continue to intensify, the strength of environmental factors affecting global ecosystems has gradually increased, and multiple factors often change simultaneously within a single ecosystem, collectively influencing plant performance. However, with the increasing number of global change factors, the trend of changes in key functional traits of mycorrhizal plants remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of multiple global change factors on the functional traits of ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal plants.

Methods This study employed a pot-controlled experimental approach, using seedlings of six locally common mycorrhizal plant species as subjects to investigate the effects of varying numbers of global change factors on the functional traits of two types of mycorrhizal plants. The experiment included a control treatment (0 factor) and four treatments consisting of combinations of 1, 2, 4, and 8 factors. After one year of treatment, measurements were taken of plant photosynthetic rate, as well as leaf and root trait indicators, to evaluate the impact of the number of global change factors on plant functional traits.

Important findings The results showed that, with increasing numbers of global change factors, photosynthetic, aboveground, and belowground functional traits exhibit linear or nonlinear changes depending on mycorrhizal types and plant species. The linear relationship between plant functional traits and the number of global change factors may reflect additive effects of multi-factor interactions, while nonlinear relationships likely result from non-additive interactions (synergistic or antagonistic effects) among the factors. These findings highlight the complex influence of global change factors on plant functional traits, as well as the unique responses of different species to environmental pressures. The results provide valuable experimental insights into the response patterns of plant traits under increasing numbers of global change factors, offering a basis for understanding and mitigating the impacts of intensified global change.

Aims Plant functional traits reflect key strategies of resource acquisition, utilization and conservation, and play a critical role in shaping plant responses to environmental change. Soil phosphorus (P) content is a major limiting nutrient in tropical forest ecosystems, and changes in its availability may alter plant resource-use strategies at different growth stages. This study aimed to examine the responses of functional traits and their interrelationships to P addition in seedlings and saplings in a tropical cloud forest.

Methods Seedlings and saplings from the Bawangling area of National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest were selected as this study materials. Three P addition treatments (low, medium and high) were established. The leaf thickness (LT), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen contents (LN), leaf phosphorus contents (LP) and branch density (BD) of the plants were measured. Functional traits responses and trait-trait relationships under different P addition levels were analyzed for both seedlings and saplings.

Important findings (1) The growth stage of plants and P concentration significantly influenced the functional traits of plants. Under the CK treatment, compared with saplings, seedlings exhibited a more resource acquisitive strategy. With increasing P concentration, seedlings showed higher SLA, LP and low LT, LDMC, whereas saplings exhibited no significant trait changes. The two ends of the principal component 1 (PC1) axis represented the resource-acquisitive and resource-conservative strategies, respectively, with seedlings positioned toward the acquisitive end relative to saplings. (2) BD-LDMC, SLA-LN, SLA-LP, and LN-LP of seedlings and saplings were significantly positively correlated, and BD-SLA, LDMC-SLA, LDMC-LN, LDMC-LP, and SLA-LT were significantly negatively correlated, indicating that there were generally synergies and trade-offs among plant functional traits. Under the CK treatment, the slopes of BD-LDMC, BD-SLA, LDMC-LN and SLA-LN were not significantly different between seedlings and saplings, while the slopes of LDMC-LP, SLA-LP and LN-LP were significantly different between seedlings and saplings, which was opposite under P addition treatment. This indicated that P addition changed the nutrient allocation strategy between seedlings and saplings. In the low and medium P concentration conditions, the seedlings tended to invest in resource acquisition-related structures, presenting an acquisitive strategy; while in the low P condition, the saplings showed a limited resource acquisitive strategy adjustment, and their response to P addition was relatively conservative. In conclusion, responses to P addition concentrations vary between growth stages in tropical cloud forest plants. These findings improve our understanding of plant resource-use strategies and forest regeneration dynamics under increasing atmospheric P deposition.

Aims The rough bark provides essential physical supports and creates diverse microhabitats for epiphytic vascular plants. Studying the impacts of bark roughness of host tree on the diversity and spore attachment of epiphytic vascular plants is important to understand species coexistence of these species.

Methods Epiphyte vascular diversity as well as bark roughness and diameter at breast height of host trees were investigated in 21 20 m × 20 m plots in the Bawangling area of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. Also, experiments of epiphyte spore attachment were conducted using a homemade device. The effects of host tree bark roughness and diameter at breast height on the epiphytic vascular plant diversity were assessed. The effects of host tree bark roughness on the spore attachment of epiphytic vascular plants were examined.

Important findings The bark roughness of host tree significantly increased from sapling stage to adult tree stage. The bark roughness and growth stage of host trees significantly impacted on the richness and abundance of all epiphytic vascular plants, epiphytic ferns and orchidaceae. The variance proportions of species richness and abundance explained by the bark roughness ranged 0-1.4% and 2.8%-7.4%, respectively. The variance proportions of species richness and abundance explained by the growth stage ranged 3.1%-79.8% and 5.4%- 40.1%, respectively. The variance proportions of species richness and abundance explained by the interactions of bark roughness and growth stage ranged 3.1%-5.3% and 5.4%-20.6%, respectively. This results indicated that the effects of growth stage of the host tree on epiphytic vascular plant diversity were mediated by bark roughness. The number of attached spores on the host trees, moreover, significantly increased with the bark roughness. Overall, our findings show that the rough bark of host trees provides abundant attachment points and microhabitats for epiphytic vascular plants, facilitate the establishment of epiphytic vascular plant communities, and is of great significance for the conservation of epiphytic vascular plants.

Aims Haloxylon ammodendron, a key shrub species for stabilizing parabolic dunes in the Ebinur Lake watershed, exhibits exceptional tolerance to wind erosion and sand burial, along with robust ecological adaptability. Investigating its population structure and dynamics provides valuable scientific guidance for conserving H. ammodendron populations and promoting long-term ecological sustainability in the region.

Methods This study focuses on the H. ammodendron population inhabiting the parabolic dunes within the Ebinur Lake watershed. Based on field surveys, population dynamics are quantified using diameter class as a proxy for age class. The age structure is analyzed through static life tables, survival curves, and survivorship functions, while future population trends are projected using time-series models.

Important findings The current age structure of H. ammodendron populations exhibits a pyramidal distribution, characterized by a higher number of juvenile individuals than mature ones, indicating strong regenerative capacity. The survival curve of the population conforms to the Deevey-II type, suggesting that mortality risk is relatively constant across the life cycle. Significant fluctuations are observed in population dynamic indices between adjacent age classes. However, the population dynamic index excluding external disturbances (V_pi) is substantially higher than that including them (V'_pi), with values of V_pi (35.17%) > V'_pi (1.95%) > 0, and V'_pi approaching 0. Overall, the population exhibits a growing trend, but demonstrates limited resistance to disturbance. The survival rate decreases monotonically with increasing age, whereas cumulative mortality increases correspondingly. The hazard rate exceeds the corresponding survival rate at all ages, indicating a tendency of population decline in later life stages. Time-series projections show that over the next 2, 4, 6, and 8 age classes, the numbers of middle- and high-aged individuals will increase, while younger age classes are expected to provide substantial recruitment during mid- to late-growth phases. In summary, the H. ammodendron populations inhabiting parabolic dunes in the Ebinur Lake watershed represent a growing population type and exhibit considerable growth potential. Their development is significantly influenced by regional environmental conditions; therefore, the implementation of appropriate protective measures is recommended to enhance survival and promote natural regeneration.

Aims The study focused on Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica in the broadleaf Korean pine forest of Changbai Mountain, investigating the seasonal dynamics of radial growth in both species and their response to non-structural carbohydrates (NSC).

Methods Seasonal sampling was conducted during the growing season (April to October), measuring the concentrations of soluble sugar, starch, and NSC in five components: branch, leaf, root, xylem, and phloem. Additionally, the micro-core sampling method was used to monitor the intra-annual growth dynamics of the xylem and investigate the potential relationship between NSC concentrations and xylem cell growth.

Important findings The main results are as follows: 1) There were significant differences in NSC concentrations between species, with P. koraiensis having higher NSC concentrations than Q. mongolica, and the range of variation in NSC concentrations being greater in P. koraiensis than in Q. mongolica. NSC concentrations in P. koraiensis were higher from May to September compared to March and April, while in Q. mongolica, NSC concentrations were higher from June to September compared to March to May. There were also notable differences in NSC concentrations between components within each species, with the pattern being phloem > leaf > branch > root > xylem. NSC concentration changes were most pronounced during periods of significant growth rate changes in P. koraiensis (April to June) and Q. mongolica (April to July), and once growth rates stabilized, NSC concentrations also became stable. 2) The intra-annual xylem cell growth dynamics of both Q. mongolica and P. koraiensis follow an “S” shape, with growth rate curves exhibiting an inverted “bell” shape. The maximum growth rate of Q. mongolica is higher than that of P. koraiensis, and its radial growth begins earlier (Day of year (DOY) 112 ± 2 vs. DOY 120 ± 1), ends later (DOY 252 ± 1 vs. DOY 241 ± 7), and has a longer growth duration (140 d vs. 121 d). 3) The radial growth rate of xylem cells in P. koraiensis shows a positive correlation with the NSC concentration in its components, while in Q. mongolica, the correlation is negative. The dynamic changes in growth rate and organ NSC concentration during different growth periods are as follows: during the early growth period (April to May), the radial growth rate of both species increases as the NSC concentration decreases. During the peak growth period (June), the xylem growth rate of P. koraiensis increases along with the NSC concentration, while the xylem growth rate of Q. mongolica increases as the NSC concentration decreases. After the peak growth period (July to September), NSC concentrations begin to accumulate again in both species. In conclusion, this study explored the NSC concentrations in different components and the intra-annual xylem growth dynamics of two major tree species, P. koraiensis and Q. mongolica, in the Changbai Mountains region, and found that NSC plays a key role in regulating xylem growth. The research revealed the coordinated relationship between NSC concentrations and xylem growth in both species, particularly the different carbon allocation patterns during the peak growth period. These findings provide new insights into the growth and carbon allocation mechanisms of trees in this region and offer important references for predicting the response of tree growth and carbon dynamics to future climate change.

Aims To comprehensively investigate the dynamics of atmospheric water vapor concentration, water vapor isotopes, and evapotranspiration components in the forest ecosystem of the Da Hinggan Ling across different plant growing seasons and at a diurnal scale.

Methods This study conducted high-frequency monitoring of water vapor concentrations and isotopes at different heights using a stable water vapor isotope analyzer, while also determining the oxygen stable isotope ratio (δ¹⁸O) of plants and soil using vacuum extraction and a liquid water isotope analyzer. Additionally, evapotranspiration components in the Larix gmelinii forest were partitioned and compared across different periods by applying Isotope Steady-State (ISS) and Non-Steady-State (NSS) theories.

Important findings During the vigorous growing period of Larix gmelinii (July-August), atmospheric water vapor concentration and isotopic enrichment were elevated, whereas depletion occurred during the leaf-fall period. Diurnal variations exhibited a complex “V” shaped cycle with high-low-high fluctuations. On the diurnal scale, the δ¹⁸O of soil evaporation vapor ranged from -27.15‰ to -18.31‰, while that of ecosystem evapotranspiration vapor varied between -15.48‰ and -8.05‰, both demonstrating unimodal trends. Under ISS conditions, the δ¹⁸O of plant transpiration vapor spanned -10.83‰ to -5.31‰, contrasting with -12.21‰ to -6.63‰ under NSS conditions. Minimal divergence between ISS and NSS estimates occurred during 13:00-17:00, where transpiration contributions showed closest alignment. Overall, the transpiration contribution to evapotranspiration was 69.48%-85.08% (ISS) and 76.38%-91.05% (NSS), indicating substantially lower soil evaporation compared to vegetation transpiration, with plant transpiration dominating the forest ecosystem’s evapotranspiration.

Aims Leaf nutrient resorption is an important mechanism for plants to adapt to nutrient limitation or extreme environments. However, the nutrient resorption characteristics and ecological strategies of wetland emergent plants in adapting to specific environments remain unclear.

Methods This study focuses on 12 typical emergent plant species from the lakeshore zone of Dianchi Lake, with 471 plant samples collected from mature and senescent leaves during the mature and senescent phases. The aboveground biomass of plants in 70 sampling plots was also investigated. Based on the measurement of leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents, the changes in nutrient resorption efficiency and stoichiometric ratios of different emergent plants were studied to reveal their intrinsic mechanisms.

Important findings (1) The resorption efficiencies of N and P differed significantly among all plant species. Zizania latifolia and Iris pseudacorus exhibited the highest N and P resorption efficiencies (66.17% and 56.22%, respectively), while Typha orientalis and Cyperus involucratus showed the lowest (46.13% and 42.78%, respectively). (2) The mean leaf N:P of typical emergent plants was 11.42 (<14), and the resorption efficiency ratio (NRE:PRE) was 1.25 (significantly greater than 1), indicating that the emergent plants along the Dianchi Lake shore are overall limited by N. Under these conditions, the N resorption efficiency (56.43%) of the emergent plants was higher than the P resorption efficiency (49.62%), further highlighting the plants’ preferential absorption of N, which is more limiting. (3) Compared with other plants, Arundo donax var. versicolor exhibited the strongest accumulation capacity for N and P (399.67 and 49.32 g·m^-2, respectively) and the highest removal potential (61.19 and 8.63 g·m^-2, respectively). Furthermore, the aboveground biomass, N and P contents, and nutrient resorption extent of emergent plants collectively determined the harvesting management strategy, which in turn affected the N and P removal efficiency of wetland plants. (4) In the nutrient resorption process of typical emergent plants, three strategies coexist: nutrient concentration control, nutrient limitation control, and stoichiometric control, with stoichiometric control being the dominant strategies. These findings reveal the characteristics and ecological strategies of nutrient resorption, nutrient accumulation, and biomass removal in typical emergent plants of the Dianchi lakeshore zone, providing important references for harvest management of emergent plants based on nutrient blocking techniques.

Aims Phyllosphere microorganisms are pivotal in mediating plant nutrient cycling and promoting host stress tolerance. However, for mangrove plants distributed along tidal gradients, the response patterns and driving mechanisms of phyllosphere microbiomes to intertidal environmental gradients remain to be elucidated.

Methods This study focused on two mangrove species, Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina, distributed along low (LT), middle (MT), and high (HT) tidal elevations in the Dongzhai Harbor National Nature Reserve, Hainan, China. We compared the community characteristics of epiphytic and endophytic bacterial and fungal assemblages in the phyllosphere across different tidal elevations, parsed the explanatory power of host identity and tidal gradients on community structural differences, and quantified the relative contributions of environmental factors versus leaf physicochemical traits to community structure.

Important findings With the exception of endophytic fungi, which exhibited the highest number of unique amplicon sequence variants (ASV) at HT, the other three phyllosphere communities harbored the greatest numbers of unique ASV at LT. Richness and diversity of both bacterial and fungal communities differed significantly among tidal elevations. Community composition was dominated by the bacterial phyla Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, and Bacteroidota, and by the fungal phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Driving mechanism analysis revealed that host identity was the primary driver of bacterial community differentiation, whereas fungal community structure was significantly shaped by the interaction between host identity and tidal elevation. Correlation analyses further indicated that leaf functional traits (particularly total calcium and total potassium contents) explained a significantly larger unique fraction of community variation than environmental factors such as salinity and temperature. Furthermore, dominant genera exhibited significant associations with specific environmental variables and leaf functional traits. Collectively, these results suggest that mangrove phyllosphere microbiome assembly arises from joint effects of host traits and tidal environments: host-specific physicochemical traits determine the baseline characteristics of the community, while the tidal gradient exerts secondary regulation on community diversity through environmental filtering. These findings clarify the phyllosphere microbial adaptation strategies of different mangrove plants in response to tidal habitat heterogeneity and deepen our understanding of the “host-environment-microbe” interaction mechanisms in mangrove phyllosphere microecosystems.

Aims Exploring the high-precision distribution and influencing factors of soil organic carbon (SOC) content under different vegetation types in the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains, which is of great significance for accurately assessing the region’s soil carbon pool and evaluating its ecosystem service functions.

Methods Taking the typical vegetation types of broadleaf forest, coniferous forest, shrubland, grassland, and cropland in the ecological protection area of the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains as the research objects, this study evaluated the distribution patterns of SOC in the 0-100 cm soil profile across these five vegetation types based on a large amount of SOC data obtained from 431 sample points using the Kriging interpolation method. Additionally, path analysis was employed to investigate the main influencing factors of SOC pools in these five vegetation types.

Important findings In the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains, the SOC content in the surface layer (0-10 cm) reaches its peak. Among the vegetation types, broadleaf forest has the highest average organic carbon content of 19.45 g·kg^-1, while shrubland has the lowest average organic carbon content of 14.50 g·kg^-1, which is approximately 74.6% of that in broadleaf forests. Across the entire 0-100 cm soil profile, the SOC content ranges for the five vegetation types—broadleaf forest, coniferous forest, shrubland, grassland, and cropland—are 2.60-37.27, 3.02-14.01, 4.41-13.38, 4.00-10.83, and 3.05-14.31 g·kg^-1, respectively. The average SOC contents are 7.32, 6.44, 6.95, 6.03, and 5.90 g·kg^-1, respectively. Cropland has the lowest average SOC content, which is approximately 80.6% of that in broadleaf forests. The influence of various factors on SOC content varied among vegetation types. Terrain features (elevation, slope, aspect), vegetation cover, climatic conditions (mean annual temperature and precipitation), soil physicochemical properties (pH, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium contents), and soil texture (sand, silt, and clay content) collectively explained 25%, 30%, 38%, 59%, and 16% of the spatial variability in SOC content for broadleaf forest, coniferous forest, shrubland, grassland, and cropland, respectively. Climatic factors and soil physicochemical properties exerted the greatest influence, with mean annual temperature and total nitrogen content being the primary affecting factors.

Hainan tropical forests are biodiversity hotspots, yet their complex terrain poses difficulties for extensive ecological monitoring. This dataset presents the results of a large-scale field survey of tree communities conducted in 2024 across Hainan key tropical forest areas: Wuzhi Mountain, Bawangling, Diaoluo Mountain, Yinggeling, Jianfengling, and Tongguling. The survey established 120 plots (20 m × 20 m) to record individual tree attributes, including Chinese and Latin species names, diameter at breast height, tree height, crown dimensions (major and minor axes), and abundance. The dataset further includes calculated values for α diversity (Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, Species richness, and Pielou evenness indices) and β diversity (Sørensen pairwise dissimilarity, as well as Bray-Curtis and Jaccard indices). All data have undergone strict quality control procedures to ensure accuracy, providing a valuable resource for investigating spatial distribution patterns of plant composition and diversity in tropical forest ecosystems.