Integrated Vegetative and Reproductive Traits Reveal Functional Groups and Assembly Mechanisms in a Subtropical Forest Ecotone

In species-rich forests, the integration of vegetative and reproductive traits defines plant ecological strategies and underpins community assembly. How these trait syndromes assemble into functional groups to facilitate species coexistence in ecotones remains unclear. To address this, we measured 17 key functional traits in 121 woody plant species, covering vegetative and reproductive traits, and used hierarchical clustering to classify these species into functional groups (FGs). We found the following: (1) The woody plant community exhibits distinct trait syndromes adapted to the ecotonal environment: evergreen species accounted for 84.3%, microphanerophytes dominated (95.04%), simple leaves and alternate phyllotaxy prevailed, and animal-mediated pollination (91.74%) and seed dispersal (77.69%) were the primary reproductive strategies. (2) The 121 species were classified into 10 optimal FGs based on integrated differences in vegetative traits (e.g., leaf morphology, life form, phyllotaxy) and reproductive traits (e.g., pollination/dispersal mode, inflorescence/fruit type). Most FGs were dominated by evergreen microphanerophytes, reflecting convergent adaptation to the subtropical ecotonal environment, while distinct adaptive strategies differentiated the groups: FG1 (solely Meliosma rigida) was distinguished by whorled phyllotaxy and large leaves, a specialization for high-light microhabitats; FG5, a unique deciduous group, comprised species (e.g., Nyssa sinensis) with alternate leaves and axillary inflorescences, adapting to seasonal resource fluctuations. (3) These FGs reflected adaptive strategies to diverse microhabitats: rare species in FG4 (e.g., Acer cordatum) adopted wind-dependent pollination/dispersal to cope with mountainous wind variability, while FGs 3, 7, 8, 10 relied on animal mutualism to ensure reproductive success, highlighting the role of plant–animal interactions in community structure. Our study clarifies the trait differentiation patterns and FG assembly mechanisms of woody plants in the mid-subtropical–south-subtropical ecotone. The integrated trait-based FG classification could provide insights into how species coexist via niche differentiation and offer a theoretical basis for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.