Ecologies

Trace elements are essential for plant growth, yet their dose-dependent effects on root system development still remain poorly characterized across diverse plant functional types. We investigated the effects of manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), and molybdenum (Mo) across 10 concentration gradients (0–500% of standard Hoagland nutrient solution) on root length, tip number, biomass, and activity in four species: Triticum aestivum L., Zea mays L., Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. in Forssk. & Niebuhr, and Canna glauca L. After 30 days of hydroponic culture, our results showed that Mn and Mo elicited significant, concentration-dependent responses across all species. Root traits improved progressively with increasing concentrations from deficiency to optimal levels, but declined when concentrations exceeded the optimal range. The optimal ranges were 25–100% for Mn and 50–150% for Mo, while concentrations above 150% generally proved toxic. By contrast, Co effects were comparatively limited, with significant inhibition only at concentrations exceeding 100%. Species-specific responses were also evident: T. aestivum and Z. mays were more sensitive to Mn and Mo excess, whereas I. aquatica and C. glauca displayed broader tolerance, with C. glauca showing notably high Mo utilization efficiency. Notably, all four root traits exhibited strong positive correlations (r > 0.90, p < 0.001), indicating coordinated morphological and physiological plasticity. Collectively, our findings provide quantitative evidence for species-specific trace element management and contribute to a more nuanced understanding of trace element regulation of root system architecture. Full article

Understanding how climate, altitude and evolutionary diversity affect regeneration is crucial for predicting species persistence in changing environments. Yet, in tropical forests, most research has focused on timber trees. This limits our understanding of how small-statured yet socio-ecologically important species respond to environmental gradients and evolutionary diversity. We investigated the regeneration and structural patterns of Pavetta crassipes K. Schum, a widely used shrub, across the Sudanian and Sudano-Guinean zones of West Africa. We used generalized mixed-effects models to assess the effects of climate, altitude, and phylogenetic diversity on seedling occurrence, density, and adult structure. Although altitude exerted contrasting effects depending on climatic zone, seedling probability increased with altitude in the Sudano-Guinean zone but decreased with altitude in the Sudanian zone. Across both climatic zones, higher evolutionary diversity enhanced the occurrence and density of seedlings. Adult structure also varied with environment. Phylogenetic diversity further promoted crown development, suggesting long-term structural advantages in diverse communities. These findings reveal that regeneration in P. crassipes is not solely governed by climate or altitude but is strongly reinforced by evolutionary breadth. Conservation strategies that maintain phylogenetic diversity will therefore be central to sustaining regeneration dynamics and ensuring the persistence of P. crassipes in fragmented landscapes. Full article

Elasmobranchs play a major role in shaping the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems through their position in food webs. The Lusitanian cownose ray Rhinoptera marginata, a benthopelagic species classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, is frequently landed in fisheries off the Mauritanian coast, yet its trophic ecology remains poorly documented. We investigated the diet of R. marginata along the coast of Nouadhibou through stomach content analysis of 308 individuals sampled between March 2022 and August 2023; 135 stomachs (66 females and 69 males) contained identifiable prey and formed the basis of the analyses (disc width range 33–87 cm). Common dietary indices (frequency of occurrence, numerical and gravimetric percentages, Pinkas’ IRI, Hureau’s Q) were combined with multivariate approaches (PERMANOVA on Bray–Curtis dissimilarities, SIMPER, non-metric multidimensional scaling), measures of trophic niche breadth and specialization (Levins’ standardized index Bi, Shannon H′, Pielou’s J′, modified Costello plot), niche overlap (Pianka and Schoener indices), and ontogenetic modelling (generalized additive models). A total of 33 prey taxa were identified, dominated by Bivalvia (86.1% IRI), followed by Gastropoda (6.9%) and Crustacea (6.7%). The species exhibited a strongly specialized feeding strategy (Levins Bi = 0.06; Shannon H′ = 1.42) with high niche overlap between sexes (Pianka = 0.89). PERMANOVA detected significant compositional differences across seasons (pseudo-F = 6.98, p < 0.001) and size classes (pseudo-F = 4.98, p < 0.001) but not between sexes (pseudo-F = 1.87, p = 0.077). The proportion of bivalves significantly decreased with body size (R² = 0.176, p < 0.001), revealing a clear ontogenetic shift towards more diversified prey in larger individuals. The estimated trophic level (3.13) confirms a mesocarnivore benthic position. These results provide the first comprehensive description of the diet of R. marginata in West Africa and highlight its role as a specialized durophagous predator of bivalve molluscs, omnipresent along the northern Mauritanian coastal ecosystems. By identifying the principal prey, our findings provide a basis for identifying potentially important foraging habitats for this Critically Endangered species and informing future conservation and management strategies. Full article

Urban parks serve as important conservation habitats for flower-visiting bees and butterflies in urban areas. However, systematic evaluation and screening of bee- and butterfly-friendly nectar plants adapted to the subtropical climate of South China remain limited. In this study, an evaluation framework was developed to assess the landscape application potential of nectar plants. The framework incorporated four dimensions: ornamental value, bee and butterfly attractiveness, ecological adaptability, and flowering period. Utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), common nectar plants in Guangzhou’s urban parks were evaluated based on 14 specific indicators: leaf shape, leaf color, flower color, flower size, fragrance, visitation frequency, visitor diversity, waterlogging tolerance, heat tolerance, shade tolerance, barren tolerance, nativeness, flowering duration, and flowering phenology. The results indicated that among the 14 indicators, visitation frequency (0.2252), heat tolerance (0.2044), barren tolerance (0.1473), waterlogging tolerance (0.1400), and flowering duration (0.0543) ranked as the top five weights, significantly influencing the comprehensive quality of the nectar plants. The weight ranking of the criteria layer was ecological adaptability (0.5824) > bee and butterfly attractiveness (0.2815) > ornamental value (0.0709) > flowering period (0.0652). The comprehensive scoring revealed that herbaceous plants scored slightly higher overall than shrubs. The top-ranking species included Duranta erecta L. (4.8409), Mecardonia procumbens (Mill.) Small (4.7377), Heptapleurum heptaphyllum (L.) Y. F. Deng (4.6579), Farfugium japonicum (L.) Kitam. (4.6579), Ixora chinensis Lam. (4.5763), Salvia farinacea Benth. (4.2001), and Asclepias curassavica L. (4.2475), with native and herbaceous plants demonstrating outstanding performance. The application of the AHP effectively facilitated the comprehensive evaluation of nectar plants, and the evaluation outcomes aligned closely with the field observations of bee and butterfly visitations. Full article

Synthetic multi-species consortia provide valuable insights into the ecological and structural dynamics of complex microbial biofilms. However, the specialized functional contributions of individual components under severe nutrient limitations remain poorly understood. This study investigated the population dynamics, matrix biogenesis and metabolic potential of a synthetic ‘protolichen biofilm’ model comprising Asterochloris microalgae, Gordonia bacteria, Thelebolus filamentous fungi and Occultifur yeast. The biofilms were cultivated under strict carbohydrate-deficient conditions for 30 days. Population changes, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix formation, and the concentrations of extracellular DNA (exDNA) and proteins (exProt), as well as potential dehydrogenase activity (via iodonitrotetrazolium reduction), were evaluated across monocultures, binary, ternary and quaternary consortia. Under carbon starvation, the photoautotrophic microalgae dominated the consortium, driving an 11-fold increase in population size in the four-component system and serving as the primary source of exDNA, which increased by up to three orders of magnitude by day 30. The Gordonia sp. exhibited a tenfold expansion by actively localizing to fungal hyphae and microalgal cell walls. This was directly correlated with a sharp increase in metabolic activity. By contrast, Thelebolus sp. initially provided the structural framework via EPS production, but exhibited limited metabolic activity over time. Meanwhile, the Occultifur sp. yeast population was severely suppressed, adopting a sit-and-wait ecological strategy. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that multi-species integration stabilized the community and triggered significant emergent effects in exDNA accumulation and metabolic potential, but only when microalgae were present. These findings demonstrate that microalgae and bacteria primarily drive metabolism and regulation within the protolichen consortia investigated, while fungi and yeast play structural or opportunistic roles. This provides a robust framework for understanding complex symbiotic interactions. Full article

Ecological research on alpine plant communities (snow-bed grasslandnd alpine tundra) has been continuously conducted over the last 33 years at the Velino–Duchessa Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) site in the Central Apennines. Following the Long-Term Ecosystem Research network’s distinctive integrated and ecological approach, researchers analyze biotic components at fine scale using phytosociological relevés. Monitored abiotic parameters include air and soil temperatures, rainfall, snowfall, snow cover persistence, and soil chemistry. Separately for both plant communities, we tested changes in taxonomic diversity (species richness and Shannon diversity) and functional composition (proportion of life form, morpho-functional types, Grime’s strategies, root types, and root depth) using descriptive statistics and generalized additive mixed models. Ecological changes due to increasing water and snow cover deficiencies arise in both plant communities, with 30% change in species composition per year. By contrast, there was no significative change in the total number of plant species, some sensitive species completely disappeared, and a number of invader species appeared, with a rise in more thermophilic and drought-tolerant species and a decline in more mesic and cryophilic species. Climate change in the Apennines, with a strong reduction in the duration of snow cover and an increase in the mean and minimum annual temperatures in the mountains, could be linked to these ecological changes. Full article

Suspended particles are key components of aquatic ecosystems that modulate the biogeochemical processes of natural waters. The filter feeder Daphnia magna can alter suspended particle characteristics and aquatic habitats, while habitat variations in turn affect its growth and reproduction. This study primarily investigated the impacts of D. magna on the concentration and size distribution of suspended particles, and explored its particle size selectivity. Three particle types, namely kaolinite (KN), montmorillonite (MN) and natural particles (NP), were adopted for experiments, and natural particles were further divided into three size fractions (<150 μm, <96 μm, <75 μm). The results demonstrated that D. magna significantly reduced suspended particle concentrations via ingestion, with the most prominent effect observed within the initial three hours of experimentation, verifying its practical value for wastewater remediation. Though classified as a non-selective filter feeder, D. magna exhibited distinct particle size selectivity for identical substances. Fine particles (<8 μm) presented higher bioavailability and were preferentially ingested by D. magna. Additionally, the regulatory effects of D. magna on particle size distribution were closely associated with its particle digestion process, which depended on inherent particle properties, including composition and organic matter content. Full article

High-Andean environments impose severe limitations on tree establishment, making early survival and growth decisive for restoration success. This study evaluated differences associated with four island-guano doses—0, 150, 300, and 450 g plant⁻¹—applied in separate treatment strips to Polylepis racemosa established in a grassland at 4239 m a.s.l. A monitored cohort of 148 plants, with 37 individuals per treatment strip, was assessed at establishment and after 4, 8, and 12 months. Survival, interval mortality, total height, basal diameter, cumulative increments, and relative growth rates were analyzed using longitudinal mixed models. All plants survived during the first four months, but survival declined afterward. At 12 months, survival reached 29.7% in the control strip and 45.9%, 43.2%, and 37.8% in the strips receiving 150, 300, and 450 g plant⁻¹, respectively. The strongest height and basal-diameter responses occurred in the 300 and 450 g plant⁻¹ strips. The highest-dose strip showed the greatest final height, basal diameter, and cumulative growth increments, whereas the highest relative growth rates under the larger doses occurred mainly during the first four months. The 150 g plant⁻¹ strip showed slower structural development but the highest final survival. These results indicate a non-linear pattern associated with island-guano dose, as the strip showing the greatest growth did not show the highest persistence. Considering final survival together with structural growth, the 300 g plant⁻¹ strip showed the most balanced pattern within the evaluated plantation. This interpretation does not identify a generally optimal dose, and replicated, longer-term trials are required before broader recommendations can be made. Full article

Nitrogen cycling is a key determinant of ecosystem functioning, productivity, and carbon sequestration during forest development. This review synthesizes ecological evidence on nitrogen cycling in young forest ecosystems established through natural regeneration, afforestation, reforestation, or major disturbance across boreal, temperate, and tropical biomes. The review evaluates how successional stage, plant community composition, soil properties, microbial processes, climate, and disturbance influence nitrogen transformations, retention, and losses during early forest development. The literature indicates that young forests can exhibit rapid nitrogen turnover while maintaining effective nutrient retention, although the balance between conservation and loss varies with biome, site conditions, and disturbance intensity. Boreal forests tend to show more conservative nitrogen cycling, whereas tropical forests generally exhibit faster turnover and greater nitrogen fluxes. The synthesis also highlights important knowledge gaps, particularly the limited availability of long-term studies, insufficient integration of aboveground–belowground interactions, underrepresentation of tropical and Southern Hemisphere forests, and limited assessment of climate-change effects on plant–soil–microbial feedbacks. Addressing these gaps will improve understanding of nitrogen dynamics during forest development and strengthen ecosystem modelling, forest restoration, and climate-change mitigation strategies. Full article

Stream ecosystems are threatened by chemical contamination and altered vertical connectivity between surface water and groundwater. Vertical hydrological exchanges occur through the porous matrix—comprising coarse surface sediments and the hyporheic zone—which acts as a critical interface for pollutant storage. The Functional Trait (FTR) method, based on oligochaete communities in these two compartments, allows for simultaneous assessment of toxic stress and vertical hydrological exchange dynamics. We applied this method upstream and downstream of four wastewater treatment plants as well as within an impacted tributary and around its confluence zone. Our results, supported by physicochemical analyses confirming effluent-driven pollution, demonstrate marked degradation of biological quality and ecosystem functioning downstream of all discharge points. While coarse surface sediments provided a reliable diagnostic of point-source pollution impacts, investigating the hyporheic zone refined the assessment by identifying site-specific hydrological trends. In one case, it revealed enhanced infiltration dynamics and pollutant accumulation in deep interstitial spaces, while in another, it highlighted groundwater exfiltration as a driver of ecosystem resilience. These findings highlight the FTR method as a robust and flexible tool for water managers. While integrating the hyporheic zone allows for a comprehensive analysis of vertical exchange dynamics and ecosystem vulnerability, focusing on coarse surface sediments alone provides a cost-effective strategy for routine impact assessment and the detection of major exfiltrations reaching the surface. Future research should integrate this biological approach with high-resolution physicochemical monitoring and direct physical measurements of vertical hydrological exchanges. Full article

Despite the critical role of essential nutrients in maintaining overall health in freshwater organisms, the effects of nutritional deficiency remain largely unknown. This study investigated the biological and biochemical effects of single and combined deficiencies of boron (B), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca), essential nutrients for physiological functions, in Daphnia magna. Biological responses included life-history parameters (survival, growth, and reproduction), while biochemical effects comprised catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity, as markers of oxidative stress and detoxification, respectively. B deficiency conditions significantly affected survival, growth, reproduction, and CAT activity, while Mg-deficient conditions were associated with significantly reduced survival, long-term growth, reproduction, and CAT activity. Under Ca-deficient conditions, the most severe responses were observed, including reduced survival, growth, reproduction and increased GST activity. Combined B omission with Ca or Mg also produced pronounced adverse responses compared with the corresponding single-nutrient deficiency conditions. Fluorescence imaging revealed treatment-dependent differences in B-associated fluorescence, consistent with differences in B availability. Impaired life-history traits and elevated GST activity suggest cellular stress or activation of detoxification processes associated with reduced organismal performance. The findings demonstrate that nutrient deficiencies act as chronic stressors, highlighting the ecological importance of essential nutrient scarcity in freshwater ecosystems. Full article

The Andes serve as natural laboratories where biomes shape faunal communities into mosaics of habitats prone to fragmentation, making protected areas such as the Chimborazo Reserve (RC) critical refuges in the face of climate change. Based on this premise, patterns of biotic specialization and inter-biome faunal connectivity were evaluated through the ordering and co-scaling of family-level taxa in factorial space. A geospatial design was employed, stratifying the area into 400 ha cells, which were distributed across the high-Andean tundra (T), paramo grassland (G), and Andean forest (F) biomes and selected via simple proportional random sampling. A validated database of 2511 occurrences was compiled for the classes reptilia, aves, mammalia, amphibia, and insecta, comprising a total of 48 families, integrating records from global platforms and field surveys. The resulting matrix of 102 sampling cells (across three biomes) with 48 taxonomic families was analyzed using principal component analysis (HJ-biplot), k-means clustering, and bidirectional biclustering. It was found that Cluster 3 reflected a marked ecotone effect and faunal connectivity between F and G, dominated by generalist families with high evolutionary success such as Thraupidae, Tyrannidae, and waterbirds. In contrast, Clusters 1 and 2 revealed structural discontinuities and high biogeographic specialization in response to abiotic stress in the tundra, isolating taxa adapted to extreme conditions (Tropiduridae, Cricetidae, and Thinocoridae). Biclustering confirmed that the heterogeneity of the terrain mitigates climatic severity at the forest edge, acting as a microclimatic refuge for specialized nectar-eaters (Trochilidae) associated with Chuquiraga jussieui. The zoological structure of the RC reflects a distinct and predictable faunal partition that is strongly influenced by the interaction between the altitudinal gradient and microtopography. The coexistence of zones of diffuse transitions that promote biotic connectivity alongside nuclei of maximum specialization and ecological isolation was confirmed, which is essential for planning conservation measures. Full article

Riparian land use and land cover (LULC) exerts scale- and season-dependent controls on surface water quality, yet its influence in regulated agricultural–urban rivers is poorly characterized. We combined seasonal t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and redundancy analysis (RDA) at three riparian buffer scales (500, 1000, and 2000 m) to examine discharge, dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, turbidity, and pH at four USGS stations along the Kansas River mainstem (2019–2026). DO and temperature showed the strongest seasonal contrasts: DO was 3.1–3.7 mg/L higher in the dry season and temperature 13–15 °C higher in the wet season, a coupling central to aquatic habitat suitability. Turbidity rose significantly in the wet season, consistent with agricultural runoff and sediment mobilization, whereas discharge showed no significant seasonal difference at three of four stations, reflecting upstream reservoir regulation. Spatial ANOVA detected station-level differences only for wet-season DO ($F_{3,28}=4.91$, $p=0.007$), which was lowest at the downstream urbanized station. RDA linked agricultural cover to turbidity and urban cover to reduced wet-season DO, although permutation tests were non-significant ($p\ge 0.42$) at $n=4$ replicates. Seasonality and riparian LULC jointly shape water quality along this regulated river, and the 500 m buffer is the most spatially discriminating scale for land-cover assessment. Full article

Environmental change is reshaping ecological communities, yet conservation efforts often continue to focus on protecting species rather than the interactions that sustain biodiversity. Butterfly–plant interaction networks include well-studied systems that are an important component of biodiversity and can be foundational for examining how ecological relationships respond to climate change, habitat alteration, species introductions, restoration, and conservation management. Most studies of these interactions rely on observational records, plant use data, pollen load evidence, and historical specimens to reconstruct how butterflies use plant communities and how these relationships vary across environmental contexts. However, these studies remain scattered across disparate ecosystems, and network data have not been integrated to explain how butterfly–plant interactions are reorganized under environmental change. Here, we synthesize the literature to evaluate how butterfly–plant interactions are reshaped by environmental change in the United States. The evidence indicates that the most impactful environmental change drivers include: increases in temperature, drought, extreme weather, habitat fragmentation, land use change, species introductions, and conservation interventions. These environmental change parameters alter butterfly–plant interactions through partner shifts, temporal mismatch, reduced plant resource diversity, altered plant availability, weakening of specialized links, and increased reliance on generalist plant species. Strong shifts in butterfly–plant interactions may occur even when butterfly and plant species remain present and even abundant, making interaction loss an early signal of ecological change. A network perspective is useful because it can reveal whether specialized or rare butterfly–plant links persist or whether environmental stress shifts communities toward interactions in which butterflies utilize fewer widely used plant resources or plants are reliant on fewer species of butterflies. By integrating observational evidence, historical specimen-based pollen records, restoration contexts, and network analysis, this review provides an interaction-centered framework for understanding and conserving butterfly–plant relationships in changing environments, with implications for ecological sustainability. Full article

Water hyacinth has become a major environmental problem in aquatic ecosystems worldwide, including Indonesia, due to its rapid growth and extensive surface coverage. Transforming this invasive biomass into high-quality compost offers a sustainable solution for biomass management and agricultural utilization. However, information regarding the combined effects of decomposer selection and the compost aeration process on compost quality, nutrient transformation, and agronomic performance remains limited. This study was conducted in Rawa Pening, Central Java, Indonesia, to determine how decomposer type and turning regime (specifically the frequency and method of mechanically aerating the compost pile) influence the quality of water hyacinth compost and to identify the most suitable formulation for pak choi (Brassica rapa L.) growing media. The experiment consisted of four sequential stages: composting, compost quality assessment, compost selection, and plant growth bioassay. Three decomposers (EM4™, cow dung, and Stardec™) were evaluated under turning and no-turning conditions using a factorial completely randomized design. Compost quality was assessed based on physicochemical characteristics, nutrient composition, compost yield, and correlation analysis. The best compost treatment was subsequently evaluated in different soil–compost mixtures using ANOVA, PCA, and correlation analysis. The results demonstrated that turning and decomposer selection acted synergistically to determine compost performance. Cow dung consistently produced the highest compost yield, whereas Stardec™ combined with turning generated the most mature compost, characterized by the lowest C/N ratio and the highest nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Plant bioassay confirmed that the optimal growing medium consisted of 50% soil and 50% compost, which maximized vegetative growth by balancing nutrient availability with physical support for root development. No toxicity symptoms were observed, indicating that mature water hyacinth compost is safe for agricultural use. These findings provide practical guidance for selecting decomposers based on compost production objectives and promote the sustainable utilization of invasive water hyacinth. Full article

The rapid recovery of wildlife populations can outpace the assumptions of integrated population models and make visually plausible reconstructions difficult to distinguish from diagnostically supported inference. We evaluated this problem for Kazakhstan saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) using a Bayesian model-ladder sensitivity audit for the Betpak-Dala, Ustyurt, and Ural populations from 1980 to 2025. We fitted a climate-aware, age- and sex-structured baseline model family M0 (climate-aware static-K baseline comparator) and compared it with dynamic carrying-capacity, observation-regime, hierarchical-prior, joint-hierarchical, non-centred, and sampling-optimised development families using predefined-convergence, effective-sample-size, posterior-predictive, and observed-to-latent mismatch gates. The baseline reconstruction captured the broad collapse–recovery dynamics but systematically underpredicted the observed abundance in 2021–2025 across all three populations. The strongest development family M4b R2 (sampling-optimised joint-hierarchical development family) improved the R-hat values and late-series alignment, with 2025 observed-to-latent ratios of approximately 1.77, 1.43, and 1.49 for Betpak-Dala, Ustyurt, and Ural, respectively, but the effective sample sizes remained below the gate of 400. The study therefore provides a transparent diagnostic reconstruction and model-development audit rather than management-ready Bayesian integrated population model (IPM) inference, identifying where the current baseline fails and which structural directions require further validation. Full article

Sandy littorals are highly dynamic coastal ecosystems but remain poorly studied as wintering habitats for waterbirds in Mediterranean regions. We analysed mid-winter International Waterbird Census data collected along the 100 km sandy littoral of the province of Venice, northern Adriatic Sea (Italy), between 1994 and 2022. The dataset included 28 winter censuses, 70 species, and 150,083 individuals. The assemblage was rich but highly uneven: the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis, Dunlin Calidris alpina, Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus, and Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo accounted for most individuals. Total abundance was stable, despite strong interannual variability, whereas species richness increased significantly. Eco-functional guilds showed contrasting trends: benthic feeders and diving piscivores increased moderately, omnivores declined moderately, whereas the trends of the remaining four guilds were classified as uncertain. The Community Temperature Index did not show a significant directional trend, either for the whole assemblage or after excluding dominant species, suggesting that the observed changes cannot be interpreted as progressive thermophilisation. Overall, the Venetian sandy littoral supports a diverse and functionally heterogeneous wintering bird assemblage, whose long-term changes reflect shifts in community structure and the changing use of open-coast, nearshore, and artificial roosting habitats. The results provide a long-term evidence base for identifying conservation-relevant shoreline sectors, protecting feeding and high-tide roosting habitats, regulating disturbance and beach-management practices, and maintaining continued IWC monitoring of open-coast waterbird assemblages. Full article

Early establishment is a critical filter in restoration plantings, especially when seedlings must face seasonal water limitation after outplanting. This study evaluated whether nursery-derived functional trait profiles are associated with early field performance of Pinus devoniana Lindl. seedlings in restoration plantings. Six profile codes were built from contrasting combinations of rooting space, nutrient supply, and water regime. Seedling traits were grouped into structural development, belowground investment, allocation quality, nutritional status, stress expression, and field establishment. Functional scores were calculated from standardized variables, and profile responses were examined through conservative comparisons, descriptive principal component analysis, and trait–performance associations. The large-rooting-space, fertilized, continuously irrigated profile (LFI) showed the most balanced pattern, combining positive structural development, high belowground investment, favorable allocation quality, low stress expression, and the highest survival. The large-rooting-space, fertilized, reduced-irrigation profile (LFR) reached the highest field establishment score, but this response was accompanied by stronger stress expression. The large-rooting-space, non-fertilized, reduced-irrigation profile (LNR) had the highest nutritional status, although this did not translate into superior establishment. Under the evaluated conditions, larger rooting space and coordinated belowground investment, allocation quality, and low stress expression were most consistently associated with better early field performance. Full article