# The Effects of Deyeuxia purpurea Wetland Degradation on Plant Communities and Key Soil Factors in the Sanjiang Plain

## TL;DR

This study examines how wetland degradation in the Sanjiang Plain affects plant communities and soil factors, revealing changes in species composition and key soil drivers.

## Contribution

The study systematically elucidates the synergistic driving mechanisms of multiple soil factors during Deyeuxia purpurea wetland degradation.

## Key findings

- Wetland degradation leads to shifts in plant community composition, with hydrophytic species replaced by mesophytic and xerophytic species.
- Soil factors like pH, water content, and total phosphorus are directly affected by degradation and influence plant diversity and biomass.
- Degradation indirectly impacts plant species composition and biomass through changes in soil properties like dissolved organic nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen.

## Abstract

The succession of plant communities and soil-driven mechanisms triggered by wetland degradation are central issues in global ecology. To investigate the effects of Deyeuxia purpurea wetland degradation on plant community characteristics and its key soil regulatory factors, this study selected D. purpurea wetlands with different degradation degrees in the Sanjiang Plain as research objects and analyzed the characteristics of plant communities, soils, and their relationships. The results indicated that wetland degradation was significantly associated with turnover in plant community composition, with hydrophytic species progressively replaced by mesophytic and xerophytic species. As degradation intensified, Simpson’s diversity index, the Shannon–Wiener index, Pielou’s evenness index, and Patrick’s richness index all increased significantly. The non-degraded wetland exhibited significantly higher aboveground, belowground, and total biomass than the degraded wetlands. Aboveground and total biomass showed a significant negative correlation with the diversity index. Soil pH, water content (WC), total phosphorus (TP), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) were key factors associated with changes in plant community diversity and biomass. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) and variance partitioning analysis (VPA) further quantified potential association pathways, showing that wetland degradation exerted both direct and indirect effects on key soil physicochemical factors and plant community characteristics. Specifically, wetland degradation was directly associated with decreases in soil pH, WC, and TP, while positively affecting soil dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and plant diversity. It also indirectly influenced plant species composition and biomass through changes in soil pH, WC, DON, and TP. TP was negatively correlated with plant diversity and biomass, whereas ammonium nitrogen had a direct positive effect on species composition. Dissolved organic nitrogen directly negatively affected species composition. Overall, this study systematically elucidates plant community response patterns and the synergistic driving mechanisms of multiple soil factors during D. purpurea wetland degradation, providing an important scientific basis for wetland conservation and ecological restoration in the Sanjiang Plain.