Search Results (388)

Surface water-groundwater interaction zones are critical ecohydrological interfaces in arid regions, yet quantitative spatiotemporal patterns and soil-vegetation responses under coupled water-salt-heat gradients remain poorly documented. Based on a one-year monitoring period (August 2024–August 2025) at four sites along a river-to-desert transect (LW3: 25 m, LW2: 200 m, LW1: 300 m, LW4: 400 m from the Niya River) in the hyper-arid Tarim Basin, this study reveals the following quantitative patterns. Groundwater depth increased with distance from the river and followed an annual decrease-increase trend, with an anomalous shallow peak in March 2025 (−20 cm) linked to precipitation recharge. Soil temperature stability increased with depth: the 20 cm layer recorded the widest annual fluctuation (e.g., −1.5 °C to 24 °C at LW1), whereas the 80 cm layer varied only between approximately −0.2 °C and 28 °C. Proximity to the river dampened thermal extremes. Shallow soil moisture was highly dynamic (with a coefficient of variation [CV] reaching 40–50% at LW1 and LW4), while deeper layers remained stable; LW3 near the river stayed saturated year-round (CV = 0). Soil electrical conductivity (EC) decreased with distance from the river: LW3 exhibited the highest surface values (5000–16,000 μS cm⁻¹), whereas LW1 recorded the lowest (1000–2700 μS cm⁻¹). Vegetation performance was governed by coupled water-salt conditions rather than moisture alone: P. australis at LW1 achieved the tallest growth (>200 cm) and highest photosynthetic rates (20.25–37.38 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹), outperforming LW3 (104 cm, winter photosynthesis dropping to 2.01) and LW4 (~100 cm). Correlation analysis further showed strong vertical temperature coupling (r > 0.96 across all depths) and depth-stratified water-salt relationships (e.g., EC-volumetric water content r = 0.95 at 20 cm in LW4), reflecting spatial differentiation driven by freeze-thaw cycles, evaporative enrichment, and homogeneous silt-textured soils (54–96% fine fraction). These quantitative findings provide a detailed observational baseline for riparian ecohydrology in hyper-arid inland rivers and underscore that sustainable vegetation management requires balancing water availability against salinity stress. Full article

Heavy metal(loid) pollution in watersheds surrounding mining areas originates from multiple and complex sources, posing persistent threats to terrestrial–aquatic ecosystems and human dietary safety. This study systematically investigated the pollution characteristics, spatial distribution, ecological risks and human health hazards of seven typical heavy metal(loid)s (As, Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Ni) in the integrated water–soil–vegetable continuum of a mining-affected watershed in Southwest China. Field sampling was carried out in three functional zones with different mining disturbance intensities, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to detect heavy metal(loid) concentrations in all samples. Multiple pollution evaluation indices and the USEPA human health risk assessment model were adopted for comprehensive quantitative analysis. The results showed that 44.0% of surface water samples exceeded national permissible limits, with high-pollution areas concentrated in intensive mining zones, presenting moderate overall aquatic heavy metal(loid) pollution. Although the average concentrations of seven heavy metal(loid)s in riparian soils complied with Chinese agricultural soil screening standards, localized significant enrichment was observed for As (1.98 times), Cd (4.62 times), Cu (1.81 times), and Zn (2.72 times) compared with regional background values, causing mild comprehensive soil pollution. Farmland soils exhibited prominent Cu and Zn accumulation, and leafy vegetables in the study area suffered severe Pb and Cd pollution, with potential dietary exposure risks. Health risk assessment indicated that children face higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks than adults via soil hand-to-mouth exposure; dietary intake of vegetables leads to moderate carcinogenic risks for children caused by As and Ni exposure. Overall, this study clarifies the migration and enrichment rules of heavy metal(loid)s in the water–soil–vegetable system of mining watersheds, confirms the prominent ecological and human health risks of Cd, As and Pb in the study area, and provides targeted basic data for regional heavy metal(loid) pollution prevention and food safety management. Full article

Mediterranean rivers experience various pressures that cause native fish populations to decline. This is the case of Achondrostoma asturicense, a threatened endemic species recently classified as "endangered" (EN) by the Portuguese Red Book. In northeastern Portugal, the main populations occur in the Carvalhais (Tua basin), Maçãs, and Angueira (Sabor basin) rivers. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of small weirs on the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of A. asturicense populations along the longitudinal gradient of River Angueira. Three river zones (Z1 to Z3) affected by small weirs were selected along the watercourse. In each zone, four sampling sites were distributed relative to the weir, as follows: A1—200 m downstream; A2—immediately downstream; A3—under the influence of the reservoir; and A4—200 m upstream (reference). Sampling was carried out in three seasons: winter, spring, and summer 2025. Physical–chemical (water), hydromorphological (habitats), and biological (fish) elements were assessed in accordance with the protocols of the Water Framework Directive. The results revealed the worst water quality in the summer season due to flow reduction, dissolved oxygen depletion, elevated conductivity, and high nutrient (N, P) concentrations, leading to eutrophication phenomena. The distribution and abundance of A. asturicense were negatively influenced by the presence of small weirs, which were dominated by the non-native species Lepomis gibbosus. PERMANOVA analysis (two-way, p < 0.05) identified significant differences (Pseudo-F = 28.349, p < 0.05) between sampling sites and river zones, and paired similarity analysis tests (ANOSIM; one-way, p < 0.05) confirmed that these differences occur only between the weir reservoir (A3) and the remaining sampling sites. A. asturicense showed a maximum length (Lmax) of 135 mm, isometric growth only in the upstream zone (Z1), and significant differences in body condition (0.75 < K < 0.84). This species showed a preference for rheophilic habitats, with coarse substrate and diversity of currents and distinct cover mainly guaranteed by submerged aquatic macrophytes. A. asturicense populations are severely affected in the River Angueira by habitat fragmentation, riparian degradation, pollution, invasive alien species (e.g., L. gibbosus, P. clarkii, N. vison), and climate change, justifying the development of mitigation and restoration measures for the conservation of natural habitats and native threatened species. Full article

This study evaluates the multi-year taxonomic diversity and functional structure of beetle assemblages (Coleoptera) within Sub Arini Park, a historic urban green space in Sibiu, Romania. Following a preliminary baseline and methodological calibration phase in 2023, systematic monitoring was conducted during the 2024 and 2025 seasonal cycles utilizing standardized pitfall trapping across diverse park zones. We explicitly tested two hypotheses: (H1) that long-standing historic park management preserves a resilient and functional insect community structure, and (H2) that local spatial heterogeneity and microhabitat variations significantly drive species distribution. A total of 14,843 individuals belonging to 39 species were analyzed. While total abundance exhibited a slight decrease from 2024 (N = 7112) to 2025 (N = 6551), true diversity metrics (Hill numbers) revealed a significant increase in raw species richness (q = 0) from 30 to 39 species, alongside an enhanced equity of frequent species (Shannon diversity, q = 1, increased from 4.26 to 5.12). Functional guild analysis and multivariate PCA demonstrated a highly structured biocenotic distribution; specialist and hygrophilous species (e.g., Carabus variolosus Fabricius, 1787) were strictly constrained to high-humidity riparian corridors, whereas thermophilous generalists dominated open lawns under high anthropogenic stress. Our spatial analysis identified critical degradation within these heavily managed zones, specifically driven by intensive mowing, soil compaction, and organic debris removal. These findings confirm both hypotheses, revealing that the park operates as a heterogeneous mosaic of ecological refugia rather than a uniform habitat block. Crucially, this study provides a concrete, quantitative basis—derived from empirical thresholds of species richness, abundance shifts, and mapped microhabitat preferences—for implementing nature-based management strategies (such as establishing buffer zones with reduced mowing frequencies, limiting trampling, and retaining coarse woody debris) aimed at mitigating urban biodiversity loss and maintaining vital biological pest control services in Central–Eastern Europe. Full article

Agricultural intensification has simplified European agroecosystems, leading to biodiversity loss and altered ecosystem functioning. Within these landscapes, (semi)natural elements such as riparian zones may enhance biodiversity, yet the mechanisms linking habitat structure to functional diversity remain insufficiently understood. In this study, we investigated how landscape attributes and community-level processes jointly shape avian functional diversity in an intensively managed Mediterranean agricultural landscape in central Greece. Bird communities were surveyed at 60 sampling stations across riparian zones, green elements, and croplands. We quantified taxonomic and functional diversity using generalized linear models and examined direct and indirect relationships using piecewise structural equation modelling (SEM), complemented by variation partitioning and redundancy analysis. Riparian habitats supported significantly higher species richness and functional richness compared to croplands, with green elements showing intermediate values. However, functional dispersion (FDis) showed limited variation among habitat types. SEM results revealed that landscape variables influenced functional diversity primarily through indirect pathways, mediated by species richness, Shannon diversity, and functional richness. Variation partitioning further showed that functional dispersion was overwhelmingly explained by community-level attributes, with negligible independent contribution of landscape variables. These findings suggest that higher-order functional structure in bird communities is not directly associated with habitat configuration but is more strongly related to internal community organization. Our results highlight the importance of considering both taxonomic and functional dimensions, as well as indirect ecological pathways, when designing habitat management strategies aimed at sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes. Full article

Introduction: The upper Arlanza River (Duero Basin, Burgos, Spain) hosts a genetically distinct local lineage of brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), the “Arlanza strain”, largely free from hatchery-derived introgression, alongside other native cyprinids of conservation concern, including the Iberian chub (Achondrostoma arcasii, Vulnerable—IUCN). The river also supports the Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus, Endangered—IUCN) and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). Despite these values, the study reach presents multiple transverse obstacles limiting longitudinal connectivity and degraded riparian cover in critical sections due to livestock erosion, compromising habitat quality for all species. Objective: This study aimed to design engineering interventions to improve fluvial and riparian habitat in a 4 km reach of the upper Arlanza River, restoring longitudinal connectivity and thermal refuge availability while strictly preserving the genetic integrity of the native Arlanza trout strain. Methodology: The reach was characterised through electrofishing surveys, riparian quality assessment (modified RQI index), hydraulic refuge evaluation (IR index), and hydrological analysis based on a 30-year flow record. Brown trout population dynamics were modelled using dimP 1.0 software, with a comparative analysis between upstream (Quintanar de la Sierra village) and downstream (Vilviestre del Pinar village) sampling points to identify connectivity bottlenecks. Engineering works were scheduled to avoid reproductive periods of all target species. Results: The upstream population showed a rejuvenated age structure (density: ~1.40 ind/m; mean length: 12.0 cm), consistent with good spawning conditions but limited growth capacity due to cold temperatures and low summer flows. The downstream point exhibited a severely reduced population (~0.10 ind/m), indicating marked loss of connectivity and habitat degradation. Priority intervention zones were identified in the Camping and lower Prado Mayor sub-reaches. Proposed measures included weir notching to restore fish passage, livestock watering points to reduce bank erosion, and riparian restoration by planting native species (Populus tremula, Betula alba, Salix spp.) protected with fences. Conclusions: Restoring longitudinal connectivity and riparian cover in the upper Arlanza River are essential to protect the genetically valuable Arlanza trout strain, the endangered G. pyrenaicus, and other native fish species, providing a transferable framework for headwater fluvial restoration that jointly addresses biodiversity conservation and genetic resource protection. Full article

Tropical wetlands are highly sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic disturbances, and their macrophyte communities provide valuable information about environmental conditions and habitat structure. This study evaluated the relationship between aquatic macrophyte richness, community composition, and habitat vulnerability to climate change in aquatic ecosystems of the San Luis rural district, Barrancabermeja municipality (Santander, Colombia). Macrophyte communities were characterized at 47 monitoring sites distributed across six mesohabitats: floodplain depressions, swamp, wetland, artificial ponds, naturalized ponds, and stream riparian zones. A total of 63 species belonging to 30 families and 51 genera were recorded. Contrary to theoretical expectations, correlation analyses showed no significant relationship between macrophyte species richness and habitat vulnerability indices (Spearman ρ = −0.118, p = 0.428; Pearson r = −0.069, p = 0.646). However, species richness differed significantly among mesohabitats (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.05), indicating strong spatial heterogeneity in aquatic plant distribution. In addition, multivariate analyses using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that macrophyte community composition was strongly structured by local anthropogenic activities, including livestock farming, oil palm cultivation, and wastewater inputs. Floodplain depressions and artificial ponds were dominated by disturbance-tolerant and eutrophication-resistant species such as Urochloa plantaginea and Salvinia minima, reflecting higher levels of environmental pressure. These results demonstrate that macrophyte community composition, rather than species richness alone, is a more reliable indicator of habitat conditions and anthropogenic disturbance in tropical wetland systems. Overall, this study highlights that taxonomic richness is not a robust predictor of climate-related vulnerability in highly disturbed wetlands and emphasizes the importance of considering species composition and environmental context when assessing ecosystem conditions. Full article

River ecological restoration in lowland plain basins is often constrained by fragmented river networks, degraded riparian zones, eutrophication risk, and intensive human disturbance. Conventional monitoring approaches rarely connect watershed-scale dynamics with responses from typical restoration units, limiting quantitative evaluation and the separation of direct project outcomes from broader environmental variability. To address this gap, this study developed a collaborative satellite–unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)–unmanned surface vehicle (USV) monitoring framework and applied it to the Nihe River Basin, China, a lowland plain river undergoing systematic restoration under the Shan-shui Initiative. The framework combines Sentinel-2 time-series imagery, high-resolution Gaofen-1, Gaofen-2, and Jilin-1 imagery, UAV orthophotos, USV observations, and auxiliary environmental datasets. Unlike single-scale monitoring approaches, it links watershed-scale indicators, including water-body dynamics, chlorophyll-related eutrophication risk, riparian ecological background, and soil-water conservation capacity, with unit-scale diagnosis of riparian buffer and riverine wetland restoration. Results showed that river water-body area increased from 37.78 km² to 40.59 km² during 2021–2024, while normalized difference chlorophyll index (NDCI)-based eutrophication risk improved in 9.12% of the monitored river area and degraded in only 0.47%. Riparian vegetation cover remained high, whereas regional soil-water conservation capacity declined due to climatic factors, revealing asynchronous responses between local recovery and regional background conditions. At the unit scale, riparian buffer restoration enhanced buffer continuity and near-bank water quality, as reflected by decreased chemical oxygen demand (COD), increased dissolved oxygen (DO), and limited ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) improvement. Riverine wetland restoration promoted land-use adjustment and ecological spatial reorganization. This cross-scale evidence chain supports adaptive management of inland river and wetland restoration projects. Full article

Wetland restoration plays a crucial role in enhancing hydrologic resilience amidst the challenges posed by climate change and evolving land uses. The historical reduction in beaver populations due to the fur trade and alterations to riparian zones have compromised the ecological stability of many landscapes. Presently beaver populations are increasing as there are now protections in place for them. In response, Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) have emerged as an effective restoration strategy, particularly in regions where natural beaver activity is limited due to inadequate habitat conditions. BDAs are a human-made structure that mimics the function and form of natural beaver dams. This paper focuses on a restoration project within the Fish Creek area between the year 2019 and 2021, which is a part of the Weber River watershed in northern Utah, where BDAs were installed to rehabilitate a degraded wetland and rectify an incised channel network. Over the initial two years following the installation (2019–2021), significant ecological transformations were observed. Notably, there was an increase in the areal coverage of sediments that sizes ranged from 1 to 256 mm within the stream channel, alongside a corresponding decrease in coarser substrates. These changes facilitated a reduced channel slope, indicating substantial sediment deposition above the installed BDAs. Concurrently, there was an expansion in riparian vegetation along an approximate stretch of 40 m, primarily grasses, reflecting an adjustment in habitat conditions favorable to riparian recovery. The preliminary outcomes from this study contribute to a broader understanding of the dynamics involved in BDA-driven restoration efforts in semiarid regions like the western United States, highlighting the potential shifts in riparian habitats prompted by such interventions. Full article

This study investigated the pollution characteristics, ecological risks, and sources of six trace elements in the water, riparian soils, and benthic sediments of the Taohuajiang lead–zinc mining area, Guangxi. Water, soil, and sediment samples were evaluated using pollution indices and source apportionment models. The results show zinc (Zn) is the primary water pollutant, spatially correlated with mining sites. Conversely, both soils and sediments exhibit severe composite contamination, with cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), Zn, and silver (Ag) significantly exceeding background values. Notably, sediment trace elements accumulate intensely downstream of the mining zone and at river meander bends driven by hydrodynamic deposition. The area is classified as an extremely high risk zone (mean ecological risk index > 1200), predominantly driven by Cd. Source apportionment identified three factors governing the soils and sediments: legacy mining constitutes the principal source of Pb, Zn, Cd, Ag, and copper (Cu); natural geological processes govern arsenic (As); and agricultural/domestic activities partially contribute to Cu and Ag. Overall, historical mining primarily drives the regional contamination across multi-phase media, which is further exacerbated by agriculture, collectively threatening the local benthic and terrestrial ecosystem. Full article

This study develops an integrated framework combining emergy analysis, carbon footprint accounting, and long short-term memory neural network modeling to investigate the effects of nature-based solutions on coastal ecosystem services and blue carbon functions from the perspective of river–coast connectivity. Three transects along a connectivity gradient were established in the Yellow River Delta, a typical large river delta in temperate China, covering riparian zones, estuarine transition areas, intertidal wetlands, and seagrass beds, with multi-source data collected over three consecutive hydrological years. Emergy–carbon coupling analysis based on this case study indicates that the high-connectivity transect shows a higher emergy yield ratio and net carbon sink compared to the low-connectivity transect, with salt marshes being most sensitive to connectivity change. Threshold analysis, specific to this delta, identifies a three-phase response pattern of carbon burial rate with increasing sediment connectivity, and reveals that wave attenuation efficiency declines notably when hydrological connectivity falls below approximately 0.5, although this value may vary across different coastal settings. A higher sea level rise rate raises the critical connectivity level required to maintain carbon sink function. The long short-term memory neural network trained on observational data achieves better prediction accuracy for blue carbon accumulation rates than traditional statistical methods, and SHAP value analysis suggests the possible existence of synergistic effects among connectivity dimensions. Based on these findings, three optimization strategies including tiered restoration, a dynamic pathway, and spatial configuration are proposed as case-specific recommendations for the Yellow River Delta. Framework-based simulations indicate the potential for connectivity-informed strategy adjustments to improve restoration efficiency under local conditions. This study concludes that river–coast connectivity represents an important lever regulating the ecological benefits of nature-based solutions, but emphasizes that all quantitative thresholds and benefit magnitudes reported here are case-specific estimates that require recalibration when applied to other coastal systems. Full article

Surface water degradation has intensified due to anthropogenic pressures, especially in urban areas, where unplanned land use compromises the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. This study investigated the relationship between water quality and land use in a Permanent Preservation Area (PPA) within an urban perimeter in Caçador, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Monthly sampling was conducted throughout 2024 at 11 points distributed along urban and rural sections of the river and its tributaries. Physicochemical and microbiological parameters were evaluated, and the Water Quality Index (WQI) established by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) was calculated in order to associate the results with the sampling points, complemented by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify multivariate patterns of spatial variability in water quality across the study area. In parallel, the PPA within the urban perimeter was delimited according to current environmental legislation, and land use was classified using ArcGIS and Google Earth Pro. The results revealed greater water quality degradation in urban stretches of the river, particularly at sampling point SP7, which recorded the lowest dissolved oxygen concentration (3.10 mg L⁻¹), alongside elevated values of biochemical oxygen demand (5.23 mg L⁻¹), total phosphorus (2.94 mg L⁻¹), nitrate (18.75 mg L⁻¹), and thermotolerant coliforms (2759.20 MPN 100 mL⁻¹). The WQI ranged from 40.18 (SP7: bad category) to 73.57 (SP1: good category), reflecting a pronounced spatial gradient of water quality degradation associated with increasing urbanization along the river course. Mapping of the PPAs revealed that only 43.72% of the total area was covered by native vegetation, while the remaining 56.28% was occupied by anthropogenic land uses, including miscellaneous use (30.32%), agriculture (9.09%), buildings (6.09%), roads (4.64%), and railway infrastructure (5.81%). PCA accounted for 89.06% of the total data variance and indicated that greater interaction of sampling points with urbanized areas was consistently associated with reduced water quality, thereby demonstrating the direct influence of anthropogenic activities on the environmental parameters assessed throughout the study area. These findings demonstrate that land use patterns directly affect water quality and reinforce the need for riparian forest restoration, expanded sanitation infrastructure, and more sustainable urban planning. Full article

Insect assemblages associated with declining riparian black alder (Alnus glutinosa) stands were compared at the community level between two lowland river valleys in Poland that differ in anthropogenic transformation: the near-natural Łutownia River valley within the Białowieża Forest and the urbanised Utrata River valley in the Warsaw metropolitan area. Insects were sampled using active hand sampling and Barber pitfall trapping along a short-distance gradient from the channel during repeated monthly field campaigns in summer and early autumn. The near-natural valley supported a richer assemblage, with a stronger representation of forest-associated, saproxylic and aquatic taxa, whereas assemblages in Utrata contained a higher proportion of widespread disturbance-tolerant taxa. In both valleys, diversity was highest at an intermediate distance from the channel margin, and the between-valley contrast was more pronounced than the within-season shifts visible in the campaign summaries. The results identify a clear assemblage contrast between the two valleys, a consistent intermediate-distance diversity maximum, and only modest within-season variation in pooled campaign totals. These findings indicate that structurally complex riparian alder forests with retained dead wood are associated with richer and more taxonomically varied insect assemblages; microhabitat-related interpretations are retained as cautious sampling-point-scale associations because tree-level attributes and individual microhabitat categories were not quantified separately. Full article

In arid inland watersheds, the compounding impacts of climate change and intensive human activities have severely altered hydrological regimes and accelerated landscape degradation. However, conventional spatial planning often overlooks the critical coupling between subsurface hydrological processes and surface landscape dynamics. Taking the Manas River Watershed in northwestern China as a representative case, this research investigates the multi-scale dynamics of landscape patterns and their underlying spatial determinants. Integrating multi-period land-use data (2000–2020), landscape metrics, and the GeoDetector model, we diverge from conventional uniform buffer approaches by redefining riparian boundaries utilizing four distinct River–Groundwater Transformation (RGT) patterns. This methodological shift reveals critical eco-hydrological heterogeneities previously masked by fixed-width approaches. Our multi-scale analyses demonstrate that watershed-level landscapes exhibited a trajectory of declining diversity, transient recovery, and ultimately, intensified fragmentation, while riparian patches concurrently expanded and became increasingly homogenized. GeoDetector assessments indicate a fundamental shift in driving forces: early-stage variations were constrained by natural factors, whereas post-2010 dynamics became overwhelmingly dominated by socio-economic determinants, particularly agricultural expansion and GDP growth. Crucially, our RGT-coupled spatial analysis reveals a strong spatial association between agricultural sprawl and landscape risk hotspots concentrated within groundwater overflow zones—a pattern consistent with, but not directly demonstrating, disrupted vertical hydrological connectivity. Direct verification of subsurface mechanisms would require continuous piezometric monitoring beyond the scope of this study. Consequently, rather than generic zoning, we propose a multi-scale “hydro-spatial” governance framework featuring targeted interventions. By establishing strict agricultural redlines in vulnerable overflow zones and implementing eco-hydrological restoration tailored to specific RGT regimes, this paradigm delivers robust methodological insights for advancing precision spatial planning in fragile arid ecosystems. Full article

Wetland ecosystems have been a central focus of ecological research for an quite some time. Nevertheless, the degradation of wetland riparian zones has markedly accelerated due to anthropogenic activities, climate change, and habitat heterogeneity. The objective of this paper is to investigate the differences in functional traits of riparian plants under changing wetland environments on a karst plateau, as well as to elucidate the adaptive strategies of wetland plants across different habitats. This study examines the Caohai Wetland located on the Guizhou karst plateau, selecting the leaves of four dominant plant species (Phragmites australis, Onopordum acanthium, Galium odoratum, Paspalum distichum) in the Caohai Wetland lakeshore zone and analyzes the influence of soil factors on the variation of plant functional traits within the wetland riparian zone. The results reveal that: (1) significant differences exist in the functional traits of dominant plants in the riparian zones of karst plateau wetlands, with complex interrelationships among these traits; (2) the coefficients of variation for magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) in the soil are notably high (79.53% and 67.21%, respectively), whereas soil oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) exhibits the lowest coefficient of variation (4.36%)—furthermore, the convergent variation in specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) directly reflects the strong environmental filtering imposed by this habitat—and (3) redundancy analysis (RDA) indicates that leaf length (LL), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area (LA), and plant carbon content (PCC) are particularly sensitive to environmental changes, while soil calcium (Ca), total nitrogen (TN), water-dispersible clay (WDR), soil organic matter (SOM), soil moisture content (SPMC), and total potassium (TK) constitute the principal soil factors influencing plant adaptive strategies in karst plateau wetlands. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that adaptation to karst wetland habitats is mediated through trade-offs in the allocation of photosynthetic products and the regulation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) nutrient balances under calcium-enriched and phosphorus-limited conditions, thereby reflecting the response characteristics of functional traits in karst plateau wetland plants to environmental changes. Full article