Abstract Phragmites australis is a dominant species in estuaries. It can reproduce sexually and clonally. Understanding the latitudinal patterns of the traits can help in predicting adaptive strategies across environmental gradients. However, changes in growth and reproductive traits of P. australis, as well as growth-reproduction relationships along latitudinal gradients remain unclear. We sampled P. australis from five estuaries along latitudinal gradients in China and analyzed changes in growth, reproductive, and biomass allocation. The results revealed that with increasing latitude, the ramet height, flowering frequency, inflorescence biomass per flowering ramet, and weight of 100 seeds increased, whereas the ramet density generally decreased. The latitudinal growth and reproduction patterns were primarily influenced by variations in the temperature, precipitation, and light intensity. These results suggest that high-latitude P. australis populations may reduce their flowering and seed production under climate warming.

Effects of parental environments on offspring phenotypes are ecologically and evolutionarily important for plants. As clonal offspring develop close to their parents and their environments are predictable, plant clonality is hypothesized to influence adaptive parental effects. We conducted a meta-analysis of parental effects on offspring performance of clonal and non-clonal plant species. Offspring performance was extracted from experiments that evaluated offspring in both benign and stressful environments, with parents originating from the same benign or stressful environments. Parental effects generally enhanced offspring performance under matching (predictable) parent-offspring environments, but their direction and intensity varied depending on the environmental context and clonality. Parental effects positively affected offspring growth, reproductive and morphological traits of clonal plant species in predictable benign environments, but parental effects were significantly stronger on growth, morphological and physiological traits of non-clonal plant species in predictable stressful environments. For clonal plant species only, parental effects on reproductive traits were more positive in clonally derived than in sexually derived offspring in predictable benign environments, but more positive in sexually derived than in clonally derived offspring in predictable stressful environments. Synthesis. Plant clonality enhances parental effects on offspring performance in predictable benign environments, but does not increase the chance of adaptive parental effects in predictable stressful environments. The findings highlight the importance of considering reproductive modes and environmental contexts in parental effects on offspring phenotypes.

Land surface phenology derived from satellite observations provides an effective means of characterizing vegetation growth dynamics. Mangroves, although ecologically critical, remain understudied in phenology research due to geographic variation, inconsistent dataset selection, and limited understanding of species-specific patterns. In this study, we investigated mangrove phenology in the northern subtropical mangrove distribution area in Zhanjiang, China, from the perspectives of spatial scale, dataset resolution, and species differences. Using harmonic analysis to reconstruct the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) time series, we assessed phenological trajectories at both regional and plot levels and compared Landsat 8 with Sentinel-2 observations. Results show that satellite-derived mangrove phenology exhibits a clear annual unimodal pattern across scales, with growth beginning in February, peaking in July, and continuing through December. Sentinel-2 outperformed Landsat 8 in capturing phenological signals, reflecting its superior spatial and temporal resolution. Pronounced interspecific differences were also detected: Aegiceras corniculatum and Bruguiera gymnorhiza exhibited continuous growth from January to December, whereas Avicennia marina and Rhizophora stylosa showed growth from March to December. Ground-based litterfall data revealed strong seasonality, with peaks in July-August. Except for A. corniculatum, litterfall exhibited a significant positive correlation with satellite-derived EVI growth patterns (p < 0.05), supporting the feasibility of species-level phenology detection from space. Given the increasing pressures on mangrove ecosystems from climate change and human activity, these findings highlight the importance and practicality of long-term phenology monitoring using multi-resolution satellite observations.

Mangrove litterfall represents a major pathway of energy and nutrient flux, yet species-specific and organspecific climatic responses remain insufficiently understood. This study quantified litterfall dynamic of three dominant mangrove species-Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, and Rhizophora stylosa-compared fresh and dry organ-level phenology, and identified climatic drivers of species- and organ-specific litterfall patterns. Litterfall was monitored sub-monthly for two years (2023-2024) in mature subtropical stands and partitioned into leaves, flowers, propagules, and branches. Across species, annual fresh litterfall ranged from 1675.39 g m-2 center dot in A. marina to 2998.74 g m-2 center dot in B. gymnorhiza, with leaves contributing over 60% of total biomass. B. gymnorhiza and R. stylosa consistently produced more litterfall than A. marina. Pronounced interspecific differences were observed: B. gymnorhiza exhibited the strongest seasonality with sharp mid-year peaks, whereas R. stylosa maintained relatively stable production year-round. Leaf and flower litterfall showed asynchronous seasonal patterns across species, while propagule and branch litterfall displayed distinctly staggered reproductive and structural turnover cycles. To examine climatic effects, we employed Bayesian generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs), which capture nonlinear climate-litterfall relationships and account for hierarchical variation among species and organs. The models revealed clear functional differentiation in climatic sensitivity. Temperature positively influenced leaf and flower litterfall, particularly above 28 degrees C. Precipitation showed unimodal effects, and maximum wind speed strongly promoted flower and propagule litterfall, especially in A. marina and R. stylosa. Relative humidity had generally minor effects. Leaf litterfall showed the strongest climatic response, while branch litterfall was least sensitive. Overall, this study highlights contrasting phenological rhythms and climatic sensitivities among coexisting mangrove species and provide insights to support mangrove restoration, carbon accounting, and climate adaptation in subtropical coastal ecosystems.

A large-scale mangrove planting initiative is underway in Zhanjiang, China, to enhance coastal wetland carbon sink capacity, with the selection of species and location being critical. The sediment organic carbon (SOC) component distribution can determine the mangrove carbon sequestration capacity, yet its patterns and primary drivers in different vegetation types remain unclear. We collected sediment cores from 3 mangrove communities and determined sediment properties. The SOC in mangrove communities was mainly distributed in the 0- to 60-cm layer. SOC, dissolved organic carbon, light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), and heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC) concentrations all decreased with sediment depth. The dissolved organic carbon concentration differed by mangrove species. Sediment nutrients and/or microorganisms were the primary driving factors of LFOC and HFOC among the 3 mangroves. At equivalent nutrient levels, LFOC and HFOC concentrations were ranked as follows: Rhizophora stylosa > Bruguiera gymnorhiza > Kandelia obovata. Our results indicated that the SOC concentration was higher in the R. stylosa community than in the B. gymnorhiza and K. obovata communities and was primarily influenced by nutrient concentrations. When assessing the effect of SOC concentration in mangrove communities, it is important to focus on differences in sediment nutrients (B. gymnorhiza, phosphorus; K. obovata, nitrogen and potassium; and R. stylosa, nitrogen) and microbial biomass. This study provides scientific evidence supporting the effective expansion of the planted area and the restoration of the carbon sink function in the Zhanjiang mangrove forest. Specifically, in high-tide regions, prioritizing the restoration of R. stylosa can facilitate the attainment of China’s Carbon Neutrality Target for 2060.

ABSTRACT Phenotypes of estuarine plants are influenced by salt stress experienced in both the current generation and by their parents, a phenomenon potentially regulated by DNA methylation. In clonal plants, DNA methylation information is effectively transmitted across generations, further influencing offspring phenotypes. However, the role of DNA methylation in clonal transgenerational plasticity and its heritable stability remains poorly understood across various genotypes of wild plants. To this end, we employed controlled genotype × environment interaction experiments to investigate phenotypic responses and DNA methylation in parental and offspring generations of Phragmites australis under salt stress conditions. Furthermore, we investigated the stability of DNA methylation inheritance across three generations exposed to continuous salt stress. Our results demonstrated that parental salt stress significantly increased plant height, maximum leaf area, and rhizome nodes of P. australis offspring from certain genotypes subjected to salt stress similar to their parents, compared to offspring of unstressed parents. Parental salt stress induced an increase in CHG hemi‐methylation and a decrease in CG methylation, potentially modulating changes in offspring plant height, maximum leaf area, and rhizome nodes. Moreover, multigenerational salt stress resulted in a persistent reduction in CG methylation and a cumulative elevation of CHG hemi‐methylation in specific genotypes. These findings reveal that offspring phenotypes in P. australis are jointly determined by genetic background and both parental and offspring environments, mediated through epigenetic modifications, which further advances our understanding of evolutionary adaptation strategies in clonal plants.

Plant traits are influenced by evolutionary and environmental factors co-operating across varying spatial and temporal scales. While significant progress has been made in understanding aboveground-belowground trait relationships in terrestrial plants, little is known about how plant above- and belowground traits perform in marsh wetlands at large scales, particularly for traits related to clonal architecture and resource acquisition strategies. We measured above- and belowground traits of 15 occurring, common clonal plant species in nine marsh wetlands in northern China, and obtained data of soil physicochemical properties and climates. We found a crucial role of soil moisture in shaping traits of wetland clonal plants. Across the nine wetlands, all traits except those of leaves showed higher values in the high- than in the low-moisture areas in the low-precipitation areas, but this trend was reversed in the high-precipitation areas. In particular, clonal plants showed longer rhizome internodes and higher rhizome internode biomass in the higher-moisture areas, thereby displaying a guerrilla architecture. Moreover, most wetland clonal plants also exhibited larger specific leaf area, showing an acquisitive strategy of resource uptake. These findings deepen our understanding of the ecological strategies of wetland clonal species, and provide insights for the conservation and restoration of marsh wetland vegetation.

Background Unvegetated tidal flats of mangrove ecosystems in estuarine and non-estuarine areas play a crucial role in the coastal blue carbon sinks and biogeochemical cycle.However,there is still a lack of comprehensive understand-ing of the differences in soil organic carbon(SOC)contents in mangrove tidal flats between estuarine and non-estua-rine areas,as well as their influencing factors. Methods In this study,soil samples were collected from estuarine and non-estuarine mangrove tidal flats in the Leizhou Peninsula.We compared the SOC and soil physicochemical properties between estuarine and non-estuarine mangrove tidal flats.The Random Forest algorithm was employed to identify the main influencing factors affecting SOC.The direct and indirect effects of the main influencing factors on SOC were studied using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results SOC,total nitrogen(TN),total phosphorus(TP),available potassium(AK),clay,silt,aluminum(Al),lithium(Li),boron(B),molybdenum(Mo),and cadmium(Cd)contents in the estuarine areas were significantly higher than those in the non-estuarine areas of the mangrove tidal flats.The soil particle size(clay,silt,and sand),soil nutrient(TN andTP),and soil metal elements(Al,Mo,and Cd)were the main influencing factors of the SOC contents in the estua-rine and non-estuarine mangrove tidal flat areas.Soil particle size(clay,silt,and sand)indirectly positively influenced SOC contents by positively influencing soil nutrient(TN and TP). Conclusions Our findings indicate that estuarine tidal flats have higher capacity of SOC sequestration compared with non-estuarine tidal flats.The main cause is that soil particle size has the potential to significantly increase SOC content by increasing soil nutrients,while metal elements have a direct influence on SOC content.The findings of the present study highlight an important mechanism that influences SOC contents in estuarine and non-estuarine mangrove tidal flats.

A belowground bud bank is a collection of asexual propagules produced by the underground storage organs of geophytes. Renewal through belowground bud banks is the main reproductive strategy of geophytes. The belowground bud bank density reflects the potential renewal capacity of geophyte communities. However, the effects of different perturbation regimes and habitats on the belowground bud bank density of geophytes are not comprehensively understood. Moreover, whether different types of belowground bud banks respond differently to perturbations is still unclear. For this meta-analysis, relevant papers on the effects of environmental perturbations on the belowground bud bank density of geophytes were systematically collected. The cumulative effect size of different perturbation regimes and habitats on belowground bud banks among different bud types was analyzed. Overall, the effect of environmental perturbations on belowground bud bank density was small, which may result from opposite or fluctuating responses of bud banks to different perturbations. Drought negatively affected bud bank density. Environmental perturbations decreased rhizome bud density but increased tiller bud density. In wetlands, perturbations decreased belowground bud bank density. However, no significant effect was found for other habitat types. In general, belowground bud banks of geophytes are highly resistant and resilient. Changes in belowground bud bank density depend on the type of perturbations, the habitats in which plants are distributed and the type of bud banks.

Plant-soil feedback(PSF),as an important driving force for plant distribution,community composition,and succession,has received extensive attention in recent years.The spatial-temporal variation are important factors driving PSF;however,there is currently a lack of review on its research progress.We summarized the research progress on the spatial-temporal variation of PSF and proposed research directions that could be pursued in the future.At the temporal scale of PSF,the relationships among plant developmental stages,experimental cycles,and feedback effects were emphasized.At the spatial scale of PSF,we focused on the spatial distribution and transfer of plants,the spatial differentiation of soil microbial communities and physicochemical factors,as well as the influence of above-and below-ground systems on PSF.Based on the research progress,we proposed to focus on the long-term,multi-point dynamic feedback to improve the temporal resolution of the feedback process.The buffering time of microbial communities on domesticated and tested plants needed to be considered,and reasonable domestication and feedback periods should be set to make the results more objective.At the spatial scale,the effects of plant spatial distribution,spatial heterogeneity of soil factors,and above-and below-ground systems on feedback effects should be paid attention.Efforts should be made to achieve similarity in the physical structure of the inoculated soil,in order to obtain more realistic feedback effects.

Background and Aims Plant traits are the results of plant evolutionary and environmental drivers operating at different scales. Although the relationship between above- and below-ground traits of terrestrial plants has been advanced, little is known about above- and below-ground traits of wetland plants, their relationship and influencing factors across a large scale. Methods Species coverage, and above- and below-ground plant traits were measured in nine typical marsh wetlands of northern China. Differences in plant traits at both species- and community-level among wetlands and between low and high soil moisture conditions, correlations between above- and below-ground traits of clonal plants, and the influencing environmental factors were analyzed. Results Plant traits at both species- and community-level were significantly higher in Daihai and Qingtongxia wetlands than that in other wetlands, which was influenced by combined effects of precipitation, soil nutrients, and temperature. Plant traits at both levels were generally higher under high than low soil moisture conditions. At the species level, the coordinated relationships were found between above- and below-ground traits of clonal plants under both low and high soil moisture conditions across all wetlands; while a trade-off relationship was found between internode diameter and length of clonal plants. Conclusions Plant traits exhibited the similar pattern among wetlands at both levels, but performed better at high soil moisture conditions in marsh wetlands. Coordinated relationships between above- and below-ground traits will be further clarified whether such coordination can be also seen in other wetland ecosystems.

Mangrove forests are large pools of soil organic carbon (SOC) found across the world, and play a vital role in global carbon (C) cycling. In this study, to investigate the effects of spatial factors on SOC in mangrove forests, soil samples at different depth layers from upper estuary (UE), lower estuary (LE), and tidal inlet (TI) in the Qinglangang mangrove forest in Southern China were collected and the differences in SOC among the layers and geomorphological settings were compared. The mean SOC content showed a pattern of LE (4.63 ± 1.28%) > UE (2.94 ± 0.73%) > TI (1.44 ± 0.33%). SOC content and storage decreased with soil depth in TI, but increased in UE. The total SOC storages (0–80 cm) of sites TU, UE, and LE, were 104.41 ± 16.63, 207.14 ± 44.83, and 228.78 ± 19.37 Mg/ha, respectively. The results suggested that top- and subsoil organic C content and storage were largely dependent on their specific location, which underwent different river-sea interactions and human activities. The SOC of the soil profile varied at different sites, implying that the current C storage of mangrove ecosystems can be accurately estimated by quantifying the C of sediments at sites.

雷州半岛曾有小花老鼠簕(Acanthus ebracteatus)分布的历史记录,但无详实资料可考.本研究采用野外勘察与样方调查相结合的方法,对雷州半岛小花老鼠簕资源状况及其生长区域沉积物特性进行全面调查.结果表明:小花老鼠簕仅分布于九洲江入海的安铺河、营仔河河口滩涂的较小范围,呈块状,多为单优种植物群落,总面积9 083 m2,平均密度14株/m2,是目前我国发现的天然分布面积最大的种群;分布区沉积物的pH值为6.30,有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾含量分别为31.97、1.59、0.78、14.5 g/kg,有效氮、有效磷、有效钾含量分别为49.77、25.64、435.13mg/kg,雷州半岛小花老鼠簕分布于微酸性和养分较高的环境中.小花老鼠簕极易受人类活动干扰,亟需对其进行抢救性保护.

探究典型滨海湿地植物对盐碱土的改良作用,可为未来盐碱地改良和治理提供理论参考与决策依据.在黄河三角洲湿地,选择盐角草(Salicornia europaea)、盐地碱蓬(Suaeda salsa)、二色补血草(Limonium bicolor)、中亚滨藜(Atriplex centralasiatica)、獐毛(Aeluropus sinensis)、星星草(Puccinella tenuiflora)共6种典型植物,采用野外原位种植方式;在试验中心的田间选择5 m×10 m区域,布置18个相同的试验小区(1 m×1 m),每种植物均撒播3个小区,分别在植物生长苗期(6月初)、初期(7月中旬)、中期(8月中旬)、后期(9月中下旬)采集各小区内土样,测定土壤盐分变化.结果显示,与生长初期相比,6种植物生长后期使土壤全盐、可溶性K+、Na+、Ca2+、SO42-、Cl-平均显著降低了 22.02％、22.03％、23.59％、19.65％、17.37％、19.05％,pH 和 Mg2+在中亚滨藜、獐毛、星星草群落显著降低了 3.99％、4.58％、4.63％和11.81％、14.54％、17.57％,中亚滨藜、獐毛、星星草对土壤盐分的降低作用较好.不同植物生长期的对比发现,盐角草群落在植物生长早期对土壤盐分的降低效果最好,但中后期以中亚滨藜、獐毛、星星草的降盐作用更为显著.

To predict the consequences of environmental change on the biodiversity of alpine wetlands, it is necessary to understand the relationship between soil properties and vegetation biodiversity. In this study, we investigated spatial patterns of aboveground vegetation biomass, cover, species diversity, and their relationships with soil properties in the alpine wetlands of the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Furthermore, the relative contribution of soil properties to vegetation biomass, cover, and species diversity were compared using principal component analysis and multiple regression analysis. Generally, the relationship between plant biomass, coverage, diversity, and soil nutrients was linear or unimodal. Soil pH, bulk density and organic carbon were also significantly correlated to plant diversity. The soil attributes differed in their relative contribution to changes in plant productivity and diversity. pH had the highest contribution to vegetation biomass and species richness, while total nitrogen was the highest contributor to vegetation cover and nitrogen–phosphorus ratio (N:P) was the highest contributor to diversity. Both vegetation productivity and diversity were closely related to soil properties, and soil pH and the N:P ratio play particularly important roles in wetland vegetation biomass, cover, and diversity.

随着生态文明理念的不断深入,尤其2016年湿地修复制度提出以来,全国各地湿地修复的热情空前高涨,取得了显著成效.然而,在全社会湿地修复热潮中,也出现了过度修复、形式主义等不尊重自然规律的问题.为认识湿地退化及湿地修复,提出科学合理的对策,本文从对湿地的认识和对待湿地退化的态度两方面存在的问题进行了分析.结合马克思主义哲学观点,从认识与实践关系、矛盾分析方法、改造两个世界等唯物辩证的角度,提出了湿地修复的方法论,并建议重大修复项目中让科技贯穿全过程,采用适应性修复方式,强化湿地修复的科技支撑作用,为经济社会高质量发展提供生态安全保障.

潮河作为北京市地表饮用水源密云水库的主要入库河流,其水质对饮用水源水质安全具有重要影响作用.为探讨潮河沉积物中重金属的污染特征及潜在生态风险,作者于2016年沿河流上游至入库口选取12处监测点采集表层沉积物,测定沉积物中As、Cu、Pb、Ni、Cr、Zn和Cd共7种重金属的含量.基于单因子指数、Hakanson综合污染指数和潜在生态风险指数来评价沉积物中重金属污染特征和潜在生态风险程度,结果表明:潮河沉积物中除重金属Ni和Pb外,其余5种重金属(As、Cu、Cr、Zn、Cd1)含量均高于北京市土壤环境质量背景值,其中以Cd的累计程度最重;重金属的空间分布差异较大,呈现出不均匀分布状态,其中Cd和Cu呈现出高度离散性;综合污染指数表明各重金属污染程度为Cd＞Cu＞Cr＞Zn＞As＞Ni＞Pb,其中Zn-Cr、Ni-Cd-Pb-As之间存在较好的同源性;多元统计分析表明Ni可能来源于自然源,Zn、Cr和Cu可能来源于废水、农药化肥和交通污染源,Cd和Pb可能来源于汽车尾气、交通运输等污染输入源,As可能来源于废水;综合潜在生态风险指数表明重金属潜在生态风险等级由强至弱依次为Cd＞Cu＞As＞Cr＞Ni＞Pb＞Zn,其中仅Cd具有极高的潜在生态风险.潮河沉积物重金属总体上处于高生态风险等级,但除了京通线铁路和省道滦赤路河段监测点潜在生态风险危害等级较高外,其它采样点及密云水库入库口处监测点均处于低风险危害等级.

通过分析排水沟渠影响下的泥炭地土壤氮空间分布特征,阐明全球变化背景下排水沟壑对高原泥炭地退化的影响,为若尔盖高原退化湿地区的生态恢复提供决策支持.将若尔盖湿地自然保护区内的一条排水沟渠作为研究区,在11个垂直于沟渠的断面上,通过环刀法在沟渠两侧取样,分析排水沟渠对阶地沼泽土壤全氮和碱解氮的影响.结果 表明:土壤全氮含量0.34～21.86 g·kg-1,平均值为11.26±6.22 g·kg-1;土壤碱解氮含量28.35～1965.60 mg·kg-1,平均值为889.53±470.31 mg·kg-1;纵向上,以高海拔和靠近河流的含量较低,碱解氮与全氮的比值与高程呈正相关;横向上,与沟渠不同距离间存在差异,越靠近沟渠的样点,其全氮含量越高,但统计上不显著(P＞0.05),高程更低的左岸碱解氮含量低于右岸;表层土壤的碱解氮以靠近沟渠1 m的距离最低(P＜0.05),左、右岸的碱解氮/全氮比值均呈“V”型变化,与沟渠的距离增加先降低再升高;垂向上,土壤全氮和碱解氮以表层最高,随着深度增加而降低;阶地沼泽连续地块上的土壤氮分布受高程影响大,随着海拔升高而降低;表层土壤氮含量最高,随着深度增加其垂向变化趋势不一致;排水沟壑对泥炭地土壤氮的时空分布格局产生影响,对靠近沟渠的影响最大,且显著降低表层的土壤氮含量.