The soil seed bank, as a “storage” of aboveground vegetation species diversity, is the material foundation for plant community succession and a core driving force for regional vegetation natural restoration. This review, based on recently published high-impact studies, systematically summarizes the dynamic characteristics and driving mechanisms of soil seed banks in community succession, the impact pathways of disturbances on soil seed banks, and the application potential and limitations of soil seed banks in ecological restoration. Soil seed bank density, species richness, and composition show regular changes across succession stages, with high seed density in early stages, high richness in mid-stages, and low similarity in late stages as cross-system common characteristics. Disturbances affect soil seed bank functions through direct (e.g., climate change, physical disturbances), indirect (e.g., habitat changes, intensified competition), and cross-scale pathways (e.g., temporal mismatches, spatial diffusion), with multi-path interactions leading to nonlinear responses; Although soil seed banks provide a source of seed for the restoration of degraded ecosystems, their application is limited by the availability of target species seeds and environmental stress. Future research should focus on strengthening long-term monitoring, analyzing multi-factor interaction mechanisms, and developing precise restoration technologies based on soil seed bank characteristics to address ecological restoration challenges under global change.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a major component of the global carbon cycle. Under continuing increases in atmospheric nitrogen deposition, the effects of nitrogen addition on forest SOC and its fractions—particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC)—have attracted considerable attention in ecology. However, these effects vary markedly across soil pH conditions, and a systematic framework for integrating the underlying mechanisms is still lacking. Using soil pH as the main organizing gradient (acidic: pH < 5.5; weakly acidic to neutral: 5.5 ≤ pH < 7.5; alkaline: pH ≥ 7.5), this review synthesizes the response patterns of SOC, POC, and MAOC to nitrogen addition and examines the mechanisms behind these differences from three linked perspectives: carbon input, carbon output, and stabilization processes. In acidic forest soils, nitrogen addition generally promotes net SOC accumulation. In the short term, this effect is mainly associated with enhanced plant carbon input and reduced carbon output through suppressed soil carbon decomposition; over the longer term, reduced carbon output appears to be the dominant pathway driving the accumulation of SOC and POC. Nitrogen addition may also increase MAOC by strengthening mineral-organic associations and slowing MAOC decomposition. In weakly acidic to neutral forest soils, the effects of nitrogen addition tend to be more balanced. In the short term, carbon input and carbon output may increase simultaneously, whereas over longer periods both may decline, resulting in an overall non-significant response of SOC. Within this pH range, POC often increases because of greater carbon input or reduced decomposition, while MAOC may decline owing to base cation leaching and reduced input of microbial residues. In alkaline forest soils, available evidence suggests that the overall SOC response to nitrogen addition is often not significant, likely because increased carbon input is offset by enhanced decomposition. However, major gaps remain in our understanding of how POC and MAOC respond, as well as the mechanisms regulating those responses. Future work should place greater emphasis on forest soil carbon cycling in alkaline soils and combine multi-scale observations with process-based models to clarify carbon-nitrogen coupling under the joint control of plants, microbes, and minerals. Such efforts will improve predictions of forest carbon sink function and provide a stronger basis for optimizing nitrogen management strategies.

Aims The response of forest soil organic carbon (SOC) to global change has remained a prominent issue in ecological research. Although numerous studies have demonstrated that nitrogen deposition can promote the accumulation of forest SOC and enhance its stability, the impact of nitrogen deposition on the accumulation of specific plant-derived components in SOC, such as lignin phenols, remains unclear. This knowledge gap limits our in-depth understanding of forest carbon cycling processes and their role in maintaining global carbon balance. Methods Based on the long-term (more than 20 years) nitrogen deposition experimental platform in Dinghu Mountain, this study systematically investigated the effects of long term nitrogen addition on the accumulation patterns of lignin phenols across different soil layers and their underlying mechanisms. Important findings The results indicated that: (1) lignin phenol content significantly decreases with soil depth; nitrogen addition increased lignin phenol content by 23.7% in the 0-10 cm soil layer but had no significant effect on the 10-30 cm layer. (2) Under the control treatment, the activity of carbon-degrading enzymes is a key factor influencing lignin phenol accumulation; nitrogen addition inhibited carbon-degrading enzyme activity and weakened their regulatory effect on the accumulation of lignin phenols. In contrast, lignin phenols were more effectively protected through physical and chemical binding with soil minerals, thereby significantly reducing their bioavailability. In summary, long-term nitrogen deposition promotes plant-derived carbon in tropical forests via lignin phenol accumulation only in the surface soil layer. Long-term high nitrogen input has altered the regulatory pathways of plant-derived carbon accumulation in tropical evergreen broadleaf forest soils, shifting from microbial degradation processes to physicochemical protection as the dominant mechanism. This study unveils a novel mechanism for maintaining the stability of tropical forest soil carbon pools under nitrogen deposition, providing crucial theoretical insights for predicting forest soil carbon dynamics.

Aims The priming effect (PE) is a common phenomenon in terrestrial ecosystems, but its response to warming remains highly uncertain in the context of climate change. Most existing studies on the PE are based on laboratory incubation methods, which cannot accurately assess the changes induced by temperature increases in natural field environments. Methods In this study, based on an in-situ soil warming experiment located in a subtropical forest, ¹³C labeled glucose was added using an artificial root imitation device to simulate labile carbon input from root, to explore the responses of PE and the soil net carbon balance to warming. Four treatments were set up in the experiment: 1) ambient temperature + deionized water (CT-CK); 2) ambient temperature + glucose solution (CT-Glu); 3) warming temperature + deionized water (W-CK); 4) warming temperature + glucose solution (W-Glu). Important findings The results showed that both warming and glucose addition had a significant impact on the CO₂ flux, with glucose addition increasing the total CO₂ flux, while warming inhibited it. From May to October 2023, the cumulative Glu-derived CO₂ in the CT-Glu treatment was 9.51 g CO₂-C·kg^-1 SOC (SOC, soil organic carbon), and this amount was reduced by warming to 5.41 g CO₂-C·kg^-1 SOC. Similarly, warming significantly suppressed the PE. The cumulative PE of the CT-Glu treatment was 12.31 g CO₂-C·kg^-1 SOC, while that of the W-Glu treatment was 6.54 g CO₂-C·kg^-1 SOC. In this study, warming significantly intensified microbial carbon limitation in the soil, which was the primary reason for the reduction in cumulative Glu-derived CO₂ and the priming effect. In addition, warming significantly increased the soil net carbon balance. Specifically, the soil net carbon balance of the CT-Glu treatment was -1.81 g CO₂-C·kg^-1 SOC, while that of the W-Glu treatment was 8.05 g CO₂-C·kg^-1 SOC. Our findings quantified the impact of in-situ warming on the PE of SOC decomposition, which is beneficial for better understanding soil carbon cycling processes in terrestrial ecosystems and for reducing uncertainties in Earth system models that predict carbon dynamics.

Aims Large-scale management of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantations has triggered severe nutrient imbalances in subtropical forests. Transforming stands via increasing tree species diversity is an important approach to mitigate nutrient imbalances in Chinese fir plantations. However, the effects of neighbourhood tree species richness on litter nutrient contents and their stoichiometric characteristics remain unclear. Methods This study selected Chinese fir in subtropical regions as the target tree species, and established a gradient of neighbourhood tree species richness (1, 4, 6, 7, and 8 species) to investigate their effects on the contents of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in Chinese fir litter, as well as their stoichiometric characteristics. Important findings The results showed that compared with the monoculture treatment, litter N and P contents increased by 37.6% and 49.4% at neighbourhood tree species richness levels of 6 and 7, respectively, leading to 26.3% and 31.3% reductions in litter C:N and C:P. Soil nitrate nitrogen was positively correlated with litter N contents and negatively correlated with litter C:N. Soil available phosphorus content was significantly positively correlated with litter P content, resulting in a significant negative correlation with litter C:P. The best-fitting linear mixed-effects models showed that soil available phosphorus content and pH were the main factors explaining litter P contents and C:P. Therefore, these findings suggest that a moderate increase in neighbourhood tree species richness can enhance litter nutrient contents in the target tree species and reduce the litter carbon-nutrient stoichiometric ratios, thereby promoting litter nutrient return and improving the nutrient status of Chinese fir plantations.

Aims Mangrove ecosystems possess a high capacity for carbon sequestration, with the sediment carbon pool accounting for the majority of total carbon storage. Humic carbon is the primary form of sediment organic carbon, its content typically accounting for more than half of organic carbon content in sediments. However, the distribution patterns and primary driving factors of humic carbon components in different types of mangroves remain poorly understood. Methods In this study, we focused on four typical mangrove types, i.e., Bruguiera gymnorrhiza forest, Kandelia obovata forest, Rhizophora stylosa forest, and Avicennia marina forest, at the Guangdong Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve in South China. We quantitatively analyzed the distribution patterns of three humic carbon fractions, i.e., humic acid carbon, fulvic acid carbon, and humin carbon, in sediments of four different mangrove types and at different sediment depths. We also performed correlation analysis, random forest models, and hierarchical partitioning to identify their main environmental driving factors. Important findings Humic carbon contents in mangrove sediments varied significantly with forest type and soil depth, with the highest level generally found in R. stylosa forests and the lowest level in A. marina forests. Humic carbon contents decreased significantly with increasing sediment depth and stabilized below 40 cm. The humic carbon contents showed significant positive correlations with multiple environmental factors, but the dominant controlling factor varied with forest type. The availability of sediment nutrients, particularly available nitrogen content and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, was a key factor influencing humic carbon components, with available nitrogen content explaining 34.20% of the variation in humin carbon content. Sedimentary metal elements (such as chromium) content exerted a significant influence on fulvic acid carbon content and humin carbon content, explaining 12.04% and 16.83% of the variations, respectively. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the variation of spatial distribution of humic carbon in mangrove sediments is primarily determined by nutrient availability. The specific metal elements such as chromium exert significant regulatory effects on components like fulvic acid and humic substances. However, the influence of soil microorganisms is relatively minor.

Aims After the control of Spartina alterniflora, two distinct management approaches—preserving bare mudflats and planting mangrove forests—have been found to influence wetland soil microorganisms and carbon cycling processes. However, there remains a significant gap in the systematic understanding of how these two management strategies affect the structure and function of soil fungal communities, the distribution and turnover of organic carbon components, and consequently impact carbon pool activity and management efficiency. Methods Employing high-throughput sequencing (ITS1) and carbon fractionation techniques, we systematically analyzed differences in fungal community composition between bare flat wetlands and mangrove-restored wetlands as well as their dynamic associations with distinct stability classes of organic carbon components after S. alterniflora control. Important findings The results demonstrated that Ascomycota and Basidiomycota remained the dominant fungal phyla in wetland soils following mangrove replacement, with a combined average relative abundance reaching 65%. The predominant genera shifted to Leucosporidium and Phaeosphaeria, whose distributions were significantly regulated by soil water content, bulk density, and electrical conductivity. FUNGuild functional prediction revealed that saprotrophic fungi maintained the highest relative abundance (15.4%-47.8%) before and after mangrove replacement, with soil saprotrophs-undefined saprotrophs and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi predominating in functional groups. The relative abundance of soil-borne plant pathogens decreased post-replacement. Compared to bare flats, mangrove-replaced wetlands exhibited reduced organic carbon content but showed varying increases in Carbon Pool Activity Index (CPAI) and Carbon Pool Management Index (CPMI). The alpha diversity of the fungal community emerged as the primary factor influencing easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC) content, accounting for 50.8% of variance. Facultative saprotrophic fungi significantly enhanced carbon turnover efficiency by driving recalcitrant organic carbon transformation. Based on the above findings, this study demonstrates that mangrove replacement effectively promotes the transformation of soil organic carbon from recalcitrant to labile forms by enhancing the functional dominance of saprophytic fungi, consequently altering the CPMI. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of the interaction mechanisms between wetland organic carbon components and microbial communities, thereby providing scientific foundations for sustainable coastal wetland conservation.

Aims Quantify how increased summer precipitation and nitrogen deposition, alone and in combination, affect soil extracellular enzyme activities and stoichiometry. Identify the resulting shifts in microbial nutrient limitations in a Caragana microphylla encroached grassland. Methods A factorial field experiment was conducted in Nei Mongol with increased precipitation and nitrogen addition. Activities of carbon-, nitrogen-, and phosphorus-acquiring extracellular enzymes were measured, and microbial nutrient limitation was assessed by vector analysis of enzyme stoichiometry. Important findings Increased precipitation increased carbon-and nitrogen-acquiring enzyme activities but decreased phosphorus-acquiring enzyme activity. Nitrogen addition increased phosphorus-acquiring enzyme activity and shifted enzyme stoichiometry. Vector analysis indicated predominant co-limitation by nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen addition alleviated phosphorus limitation by increasing nitrogen-acquiring enzyme activity and altering enzyme nitrogen to phosphorus ratios. Increased precipitation intensified microbial carbon and phosphorus limitations, likely via soil moisture effects on microbial biomass and enzyme production. Overall, increased precipitation and nitrogen deposition reconfigured microbial nutrient constraints by modulating extracellular enzyme activities and stoichiometry in shrub-encroached grasslands.

Aims The biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship is a prominent research topic within ecology. In the context of global environmental changes, biodiversity loss may constrain ecosystem functioning. Most existing studies focus on diversity effects on individual functions (e.g., productivity, carbon sequestration, etc.) or ecosystem multi-functionality (EMF), while it remains elusive how diversity changes impact the interactions among different ecological functions—a phenomenon quantified as ecosystem coupling. Methods Using a standardized field survey across 40 sampling sites in Qingzang alpine grasslands, we explored the large-scale patterns of ecosystem multifunctionality and ecosystem coupling, and their relationships with plant diversity. Important findings The EMF exhibited highly spatial heterogeneity, while ecosystem coupling showed less variation at the regional scale. Meanwhile, no significant correlation was observed between EMF and ecosystem coupling. The EMF was significantly correlated with climatic factors, plant diversity, and soil properties, whereas ecosystem coupling remained insensitive to variations in both biotic and abiotic drivers. These results reveal a widespread decoupling between EMF and ecosystem coupling at the large scale, not supporting the notion that higher EMF associated with stronger ecosystem coupling based on the manipulative experiments from single-site studies. Our findings provide new insights into the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and also lay a theoretical base for achieving the national strategy of “integrated management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts” via biodiversity conservation.

Aims The intensifying microplastic (MP) pollution and the invasion of multiple plant species pose severe threats to native plant communities. However, how plant communities respond to MPs in the context of multispecies invasions, and the mechanisms driving these responses, are still largely unknown. Accordingly, we conducted a controlled experiment. Methods We established synthetic plant communities composed of three grass species, three legume species, and three invasive species across a gradient of 12 polypropylene (PP) MP abundances. To uncover the potential drivers, we measured soil physicochemical properties, community-level fluorescence traits, species richness, community biomass, and species relative abundance. Furthermore, structural equation modeling was used to identify key pathways. Important findings (1) Overall, PP MPs significantly decreased plant species richness, especially at intermediate MP levels, without a consistent monotonic trend. (2) Unlike plant species richness, PP MPs did not decrease overall community biomass, and community biomass exhibited a U-shaped response, decreasing at low to medium MP levels and increasing at high MP levels. (3) PP MPs had no significant effects on the relative abundance of invasive plants, but significantly affected community-level fluorescence traits, and soil phosphorus and potassium contents. Structural equation modeling revealed distinct pathways by which PP MPs influenced plant species richness, invader relative abundance, and community productivity. These findings suggest that PP MPs could regulate plant diversity and community productivity primarily by altering soil nutrient availability and plant functional traits under multispecies invasions. Furthermore, soil nutrient availability and pH could exert contrasting influences on invasion processes under MP stress.

Aims Planktonic diatoms constitute the dominant algal group in alpine river ecosystems, playing a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem stability. This study investigated the community assembly mechanisms and key drivers of planktonic diatoms in the Yarlung Zangbo River. Methods Between 2019 and 2023, we established a total of 84 representative sampling sites throughout the Yarlung Zangbo River basin. A combined approach of live observation and fixed staining was applied to identify the species of planktonic diatoms which were collected in the summer and autumn of each year. Then we analyzed the community structure of planktonic diatoms, their response mechanisms to environmental changes, and the driving factors that influencing community assembly. Important findings A total of 543 diatom species were identified, belonging to 2 classes, 6 orders, 10 families, and 55 genera. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed significant inter-seasonal and inter-basin differences in diatom communities. The α diversity index was significantly higher in the middle reaches than in the upper or lower reaches, exhibiting a unimodal spatial distribution pattern. β diversity decomposition revealed that species turnover primarily drove inter-community differences, though nested processes dominated in the middle reaches during autumn. Community assembly was influenced by both stochastic and deterministic processes, with deterministic processes predominating, particularly in summer. Geographic distance and altitude significantly affected diatom community structure, with geographic distance exhibiting stronger attenuation effects than altitude. We also found a more pronounced spatial constraints in autumn communities. Altitude, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved salt concentrations were key factors driving the changes in diatom community structure. The revealed community assembly mechanisms and key drivers provide scientific basis for biodiversity conservation and ecological management in alpine rivers.

Aims To develop regional allometric models for Hainan Island and to evaluate the local applicability of the improved pantropical allometric model (hereafter referred to as the pantropical model) in the estimation of aboveground biomass (AGB, kg) for Hainan rainforests. Methods Based on destructive sampling data from 332 harvested trees from 117 species on Hainan Island, we applied the standardized major axis (SMA) regression using diameter at breast height (D), tree height (H), and D²H as predictors to develop the regional allometric models for AGB and its components (foliage, branch, and trunk). Simultaneously, using wood density values assigned via species-or genus-level matching, we estimated AGB using the pantropical model. We compared the differences between the observed and simulated AGB across the full dataset (332 trees) and a species-level matched subset (92 trees), and analyzed the variation of estimation bias with tree size. Finally, we compared the characteristics of the regional allometric models fitted using observed versus simulated AGB (hereafter referred to as the “observed model” and the “simulated model”, respectively). Important findings (1) All regional allometric models exhibited good goodness-of-fit (R² > 0.5), with the AGB and trunk biomass models performing best (R² = 0.749-0.961), while the foliage biomass models showed relatively weaker performance (R² = 0.508-0.672). (2) No significant differences were detected between the observed and simulated AGB in either sample set. However, the estimation bias was significantly and negatively correlated with D, H, and D²H. For the same predictor, the absolute values of the regression slopes were larger in the species-level matched subset, indicating a systematic underestimation of AGB for large size individuals by the pantropical model, and that genus-level wood density substitution may mask interspecific differences. (3) The observed and simulated models showed no significant differences in slope and intercept, yet the simulated model demonstrated better prediction and extrapolation capabilities. In conclusion, although the pantropical model is generally applicable in Hainan Island, its systematic underestimation of large trees, combined with the prevalent issues of missing wood density data, restricts its reliability. Therefore, we recommend prioritizing the regional allometric model developed in this study for forest biomass estimation in Hainan Island.

Aims Environmental gradients and human disturbance are key drivers affecting soil microbial communities and plant biodiversity, yet their combined effects on soil legacy processes and subsequent plant growth remain poorly understood. Methods We conducted a study in the Shennongjia region of Hubei Province, China. Plots characterized by three disturbance levels—low, medium, and high disturbance—were established along an elevational gradient ranging from 500 to 3 000 m. By combining field soil sampling with a greenhouse common garden experiment, we systematically evaluated the impacts of elevational and human disturbance gradients on soil microbial communities and the resulting soil legacy effects on the growth of annual Asteraceae species under controlled conditions. Important findings Increasing elevation significantly reduced the α-diversity of soil bacteria and fungi and markedly altered microbial community composition, whereas direct effects of human disturbance on microbial community structure were relatively weak. Soil legacy effects varied significantly across human disturbance levels. Medium disturbance markedly amplified the positive effects of soil legacies on plant total biomass, while effects became weak or neutral on soils from low and high disturbance conditions. These results suggest that human disturbance has little effect on microbial community composition but may regulate the direction and magnitude of soil legacy effects by altering microbial functional traits or interaction strengths within microbial communities. The legacy effects on the root-to-shoot ratio showed a significant interaction between elevation and disturbance, indicating that the response of plant resource allocation strategies to soil historical conditions is strongly environmentally dependent. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) further revealed that elevation indirectly influenced plant traits primarily through its effects on fungal communities and their interactions with bacterial communities. Overall, soil legacy effects serve as a key mechanism linking elevational gradients, human disturbance, and plant growth responses, being particularly pronounced under medium disturbance conditions. This study highlights the necessity of incorporating soil legacy effects when predicting subtropical mountain vegetation dynamics in the context of global change.

Aims The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climate events such as drought and heatwave, has heightened the need to understand how plants with different photosynthetic pathways (C₃ vs C₄) respond physiologically to combined heat and drought stress. However, a through understanding of their photosynthetic responses under such compound stresses, as well as the differences in their recovery mechanisms once the stress is alleviated, remains limited. Methods Using a pot-based experiment, we measured responses in photosynthetic physiology, carbon assimilation, and allocation in dominant C₃ and C₄ grass species from the Songnen grassland to individual and combined extreme drought and heatwave treatments, followed by a recovery period. Important findings Under the heatwave conditions, the studied C₄ grasses maintained higher leaf temperatures yet sustained high water use efficiency, whereas the C₃ grasses employed transpirational cooling, at the expense of reduced water use efficiency. The imposed stress treatments promoted the accumulation of soluble sugars in the leaves of both photosynthetic types, notably, the C₄ grasses exhibited the greatest increase under the combined treatment and tended to allocate more sugars to stems. Morphological and biomass allocation responses were more pronounced in the C₃ grasses, while the C₄ grasses displayed a relatively conservative strategy. During the recovery, the C₄ grasses demonstrated significantly greater photosynthetic capacity and biomass recovery than the C₃ grasses. These findings indicate that C₄ grasses possess stronger adaptability and resilience under extreme climate events such as heatwaves and droughts, which can be attributed to their more efficient photosynthetic apparatus, superior water use efficiency, and more flexible resource allocation patterns.

Aims Plant functional traits are stable and measurable morphological and physiological characteristics formed by plants through long-term natural selection and evolutionary processes. As an important disturbance factor in forest ecosystems, forest fire has a significant impact on plant functional traits. Plants adapt to external environmental changes by altering their functional traits and forming specific survival strategies. Therefore, elucidating the response mechanisms of leaf and petiole traits to fire is crucial for revealing plant adaptive strategies after fire. Methods In this study, Betula platyphylla, a pioneer tree species in the Da Hinggan Ling, was taken as the research object. The forest areas that have experienced severe fires in the past four years were selected as the burned areas, while the adjacent forest stands with consistent environmental background conditions and no fire disturbance were chosen as the control areas, that is, the unburned areas. The aims were to analyze the changes in leaf traits, petiole traits, and the coupling patterns between petiole and leaf traits of B. platyphylla after fire, and to explore the influence of soil properties on the coupling patterns among these traits. Important findings The results showed that: (1) After fire, leaf area and specific leaf area both significantly decreased, while leaf dry matter content and leaf tissue density both significantly increased; meanwhile, both petiole length and specific petiole length were significantly reduced, while there were no significant changes in the dry mass of petioles and the proportion of petiole biomass allocation. (2) After fire, the negative coupling pattern between specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content weakened, while the positive coupling pattern between leaf dry matter content and leaf tissue density strengthened, indicating that fire enhanced the structural defense of plants and the plant resource utilization strategy shifted towards a conservative type; after fire, specific leaf area and leaf tissue density showed an isokinetic growth relationship, reflecting a fixed trade-off between resource acquisition and defense construction in plant leaves. The coupling patterns of petiole length-leaf area, petiole dry weight-leaf area, and specific petiole length-leaf area showed no significant differences in slopes between burned and unburned areas, but the intercepts of these three coupling patterns were all lower in the burned area than in the unburned area, suggesting that after fire, plants reduced biomass investment in photosynthetic organs while enhancing support and defense structures. (3) Fire increased the regulatory effect of soil properties on the coupling pattern between petiole and leaf traits, transforming it from being driven solely by soil total phosphorus before fire to being influenced by multiple soil properties, including total phosphorus, organic carbon, and water content after fire. These results indicate that after fire, B. platyphylla adopts a conservative survival strategy by forming smaller and thicker leaves as well as shorter and thicker petioles, revealing the growth adaptation mechanisms of vegetation during the early restoration period in burned areas.

Aims Plant functional traits influence plant growth and resource allocation strategies and their plasticity in response to environmental changes makes them robust indicators of plant responses to grassland management practices. In the Ili River Valley region, Sophora alopecuroides (a dominant poisonous weed species) poses severe threats to grassland ecosystems and livestock production. Investigating how different grassland management practices affect the functional traits of S. alopecuroides is therefore crucial for understanding its growth and survival strategies and restoring degraded grasslands. Methods This study conducted field control experiments, including four grassland management practices: grazing + mowing, grazing, fencing + mowing, and fencing, to explore the changing characteristics of functional traits and resource trade-off strategies of S. alopecuroides. Important findings The results showed that: (1) Under the grazing management, S. alopecuroides exhibited the lowest specific leaf area and the highest leaf dry matter content. Under grazing + mowing and fencing + mowing treatments, S. alopecuroides exhibited significantly higher leaf nitrogen content and leaf phosphorus content, but significantly lower leaf carbon -to-phosphorus ratio and leaf nitrogen -to-phosphorus ratio. Fencing resulted in higher leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, and leaf carbon concentration. (2) Fencing + mowing and fencing significantly increased specific root length and specific root surface area. Root tissue density was highest under grazing + mowing. Root carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations and root stoichiometric ratios did not differ significantly among the four management practices. (3) Under grazing + mowing and grazing treatments, S. alopecuroides lost the leaf-root coordination in its whole plant economics spectrum, resulting in a reorganization of resource allocation between above-and below-ground organs; whereas fencing + mowing treatments promoted resource-acquisitive strategies. This study elucidates the resource trade-off strategies of S. alopecuroides under contrasting grassland management regimes, while providing theoretical foundations for controlling this poisonous weed and restoring degraded steppes in the Yili River Valley.

Aims Clarifying the responses of plant functional traits to environmental changes is crucial for understanding plant adaptation strategies and ecosystem functions. However, most previous studies have mainly focused on aboveground traits, with less attention paid to belowground traits, especially regarding the covariation between leaf and fine-root traits in wetlands. Methods Selecting Phragmites australis, a typical wetland plant in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, as a focal species, we measured leaf traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, and nitrogen concentration) and fine-root traits (specific root length, root tissue density, and nitrogen concentration), and analyzed associated environmental factors to explore the variation patterns and driving factors of plant traits along a gradient of wetland degradation. Important findings With the intensification of wetland degradation, leaf and fine-root traits of P. australis exhibited a coordinated shift from resource-acquisition to resource-conservation strategies, as indicated by a significant decrease in specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen concentration and root nitrogen concentration, but a marked increase in leaf dry matter content and root tissue density. However, specific leaf area and specific root length were significantly and negatively correlated, with the latter increasing along the degradation gradient, indicating functional divergence in morphological strategies between aboveground and belowground tissues. Further analysis revealed that soil nutrient availability was the key environmental factor driving trait variations following wetland degradation. As nutrient availability decreased, both leaves and fine roots of P. australis shifted toward a resource-conservative strategy characterized by high tissue density and low nitrogen concentration. By integrating leaf and fine-root traits, this study reveals that P. australis adapts to nutrient limitation in degraded wetlands through the coordinated adjustments of aboveground and belowground traits. These findings advance our understanding of plant adaptive strategies under environmental change and provide a theoretical basis for the functional restoration of degraded wetland ecosystems.

The Xiaowutai Mountains, situated at the convergence of the Taihang, Yanshan, and Hengshan ranges, constitutes a representative temperate montane forest ecosystem in northern China and functions as a vital ecological barrier for the Beijing—Tianjin—Hebei region. To address the lack of systematic vegetation data for this area, we implemented a plot-based survey during the 2025 growing season adhering to standardized protocols. A total of 67 plots were established across elevation gradients and various slope aspects to document species composition, community structure, and environmental variables. The collected data were used to classify and name vegetation types, culminating in the compilation of a comprehensive vegetation plot dataset for the Xiaowutai Mountains. Our survey recorded 321 vascular plant species from 197 genera and 69 families, with Asteraceae, Rosaceae, and Poaceae identified as the dominant families. In terms of life form, the flora comprised 225 herbaceous species (70.1%), 58 shrubs (18.1%), 23 trees (7.2%), ferns and lianas each contributing 7 species (2.2% each), and 1 single subshrub species. Vegetation was hierarchically classified into 3 formation groups, 7 formations, and 36 alliances, effectively encompassing the spatial distribution of major vegetation types within the study area. This dataset offers a reusable foundation for future research on vegetation classification, and community characteristics research in the Xiaowutai Mountain.