Functional traits explain the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtag023

J Plant Ecol ›› 2026, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (4): rtag023.DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtag023

Functional traits explain the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants

Yingji Pan^{1, 2, *†}, Lars Lønsmann Iversen^{3, †} and Peter M. van Bodegom²

1.Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology, Key Laboratory of Marsh Wetland Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China;
2.Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden 2333 CC, The Netherlands;
3.Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal H3A 1B1, Québec, Canada
^*Corresponding author.E-mail:panyingji@iga.ac.cn
^†These authors contributed equally to this work.

Received:2025-05-07 Revised:2025-08-30 Accepted:2026-02-04 Online:2026-03-03 Published:2026-08-01
Supported by:
The establishment of the wetland trait database was first discussed and started in 2008 at the Vegfunction WG39, which was funded by the ARC-NZ Research Network for Vegetation Function. We would like to thank all additional contributors to this original workshop, including Paul Adam (U New South Wales, Sydney, AU), Margaret Brock (U New England, Armidale, USA), George Ganf (U Adelaide, Adelaide, AU), Irving A. Mendelssohn (Louisiana State U, Baton Rouge, USA), Eliska Rejma?nkova (U California, Davis, USA), Brian Sorrell (Aarhus U, Aarhus, DK), and Evan Weiher (U Wisconsin, Eau Claire, USA). We are grateful to the Editor and anonymous referees for providing valuable comments.

功能性状驱动湿地植物对反硝化的促进作用

Abstract

Abstract: Denitrification is one of the most important ecosystem functions in wetland ecosystems, affecting nutrient cycling, water purification and the global nitrogen budget. However, the effects of wetland plants on denitrification remain unclear because of the complex plant-microbe-substrate interactions involved. In this study, we evaluated the effects of 25 wetland plant species traits on denitrification based on data from meta-analyses on denitrification, global wetland plant trait databases and structural equation modelling. We used plant functional traits as an indicator to quantitatively model the multifaceted ecological processes controlling denitrification as well as the overall denitrification enhancement by wetland plants. Our results revealed that both direct and indirect (i.e. the effect of one variable on another is mediated by a third variable) pathways strongly contribute to the overall enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants. Specifically, wetland plant root traits jointly controlled substrate oxygen availability, which reduced the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants through oxygen inhibition effects. Plant nitrogen status facilitated denitrification enhancement probably through organic nitrogen input by plant leaves and root exudates. Root biomass directly decreased denitrification enhancement through competition for nitrogen uptake with denitrifying bacteria. Our results provide a systematic view of the effect of wetland plant traits on denitrification enhancement. The application of plant functional traits in revealing the complex denitrification processes helps us to better understand the impacts of plants on wetland ecosystem functioning and inspire new practices in ecological engineering and ecological management on denitrification through a trait-based perspective.

Plant functional traits affect the extent to which denitrification is enhanced by wetland plants through both direct and indirect pathways. Through constructing a structural equation model, our trait-based perspective helps reveal the pathways underlying denitrification and inspires new practices in ecological engineering and ecological management.

Key words: denitrification, ecosystem functioning, ecological processes and pathways, plant functional traits, plant-soil (below-ground) interactions, structural equation model (SEM), trait-based approaches

摘要：
<strong>摘要</strong> ：反硝化作用是湿地最为重要的生态功能之一，影响着养分循环、水质净化以及全球氮平衡。然而，由于“植物-微生物-基质”之间复杂的交互作用，湿地植物对于反硝化的影响仍不清楚。基于整合分析、全球湿地植物功能性状数据库和结构方程模型，本研究评估了25种湿地植物功能性状对反硝化的影响。结果显示，湿地植物直接和间接作用都对反硝化具有重要贡献。具体而言，湿地植物根系性状调控基质氧含量，从而通过氧气的抑制效应减弱反硝化作用；植物氮状况通过叶片及根系分泌物的有机氮输入促进反硝化作用；植物根系生物量通过与反硝化细菌竞争氮源，直接减弱反硝化作用。上述结果为研究植物性状对反硝化的影响提供了一个系统性视角，有助于更加深入理解植物对湿地生态系统功能的影响，并对反硝化作用的生态工程和生态管理提供实践启示。

关键词: 反硝化作用, 生态系统功能, 生态过程与途径, 植物功能性状, 植物-土壤(地下)互作, 结构方程模型, 基于功能性状的方法

Yingji Pan, Lars Lønsmann Iversen, Peter M van Bodegom. Functional traits explain the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants[J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(4): 0-.

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Functional traits explain the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants

功能性状驱动湿地植物对反硝化的促进作用

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