Wetland productivity and stability increase more with average plant size than with plant functional diversity.

Hao Liu, Jianjun Xu, Xinyue Qi, Xiao Xu, Jihua Wu, Bo Li, Ming Nie

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Hao LiuState Key Laboratory of Wetland Conservation and Restoration, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5096-6343

Jianjun XuState Key Laboratory of Wetland Conservation and Restoration, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Xinyue QiState Key Laboratory of Wetland Conservation and Restoration, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Xiao XuState Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Functions and Construction (VegLab), Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, and Southwest United Graduate School, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.

Jihua WuState Key Laboratory of Wetland Conservation and Restoration, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Bo LiState Key Laboratory of Wetland Conservation and Restoration, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0439-5666

Ming NieState Key Laboratory of Wetland Conservation and Restoration, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. mnie@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0702-8009

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32430065

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The functional trait diversity of plant communities regulates the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and stability. However, the role of functional trait diversity in explaining ecosystem productivity and stability in natural wetlands remains unclear. Using vegetation data from 1139 sites across U.S. wetlands, we examine the associations of functional diversity (trait dispersion within a community) and functional identity (community-level trait values) of plant size traits and resource economics traits with satellite-derived productivity and temporal stability at continental scales. Community-level plant size shows the strongest association with productivity and stability, which is consistent across different wetland types and levels of anthropogenic disturbance. While functional diversity is generally positively correlated with productivity and stability, these relationships vary substantially across environmental contexts. Notably, weaker correlations are observed under higher levels of anthropogenic disturbances. These findings suggest that wetland conservation and restoration efforts should focus on increasing functional diversity and prioritizing large dominant species to increase productivity and stability.

Indexed as

BiodiversityPlantsWetlandsConservation of Natural ResourcesEcosystemUnited States

Identifiers

PMID41315226

DOI10.1038/s41467-025-65822-9

PMCPMC12663556

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.