Ecological Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Microbial-assisted corn residue return as a sustainable strategy for soil structural and nutrient enhancement","authors":"Xuejie Ma ,&nbsp;Zhihong Yu ,&nbsp;Qiang Su ,&nbsp;Wenhang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107825","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107825","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the effects of various corn stover management strategies on soil mechanical and physicochemical properties. Six treatments were established: natural residue decomposition (NRD), chopped residue incorporation (CRI), chopped residue with microbial inoculant (CRMI), composted residue incorporation (CRC), composted residue with microbial inoculant (CRMC), and a no-residue control (CK). Soil properties—including shear strength, compactness, saturated water content, geometric mean diameter, erodibility factor, pH, and the content of available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter—were assessed using one-way ANOVA, PCA, Mantel tests, and Random Forest models. The results revealed that the application of chopped stover and microbial inoculants significantly enhanced both the mechanical and physicochemical properties of the soil. Specifically, treatments involving composting (CRC and CRMC) yielded the most substantial improvements in shear strength, compactness, and OM content. PCA confirmed a distinct separation of the CRC and CRMC treatments, underscoring their profound impact on soil characteristics. Furthermore, the Random Forest analysis identified OM as the single most critical factor driving soil quality improvement. The Mantel test indicated strong correlations between shear strength, geometric mean diameter, and organic matter. We conclude that the incorporation of microbially-inoculated composted stover represents a highly effective strategy for improving soil health in arid agricultural systems. This approach provides a practical pathway for sustainable soil management and contributes valuable insights for the efficient utilization of agricultural residues in support of a green agricultural transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107825"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145264326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drivers of constructed wetland pollutant removal efficiency in China revisited by incorporating the impact of aridity – A meta-analysis","authors":"Lannan Huang ,&nbsp;Mengting Yi ,&nbsp;Pan Yang ,&nbsp;Ting Fong May Chui ,&nbsp;Qian Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107822","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107822","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A systematic analysis of the factors influencing the pollutant removal efficiency in constructed wetlands (CWs) through meta-analysis is crucial for effective CW design and evaluation. Previous meta-analyses have consistently identified design and operational variables as the dominant factors, and the impacts of climate conditions have often been considered relatively low. In this study, we revisit the drivers of CW performance by introducing the aridity index (AI) as a new indicator of climate conditions in the meta-analysis. The analysis is based on 139 cases across China, and the results reveal that the pollutant removal efficiency of CWs in China is primarily influenced by AI, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and wetland area, alongside other factors with relatively low impacts. The removal rates of COD, NH₄⁺-N, TN, and TP were all significantly higher in arid and semi-arid regions than in dry sub-humid and humid regions. Multiple regression analysis identifies AI, HRT, and wetland area as the most significant factors affecting CW pollutant removal efficiencies. Further structural equation modeling reveals that aridity has the greatest impact on individual and paired pollutant removals, followed by wetland area, HRT, temperature, and precipitation. These findings provide new insights into the impact of climate variables on CW pollutant removal, offering valuable guidance for the design and operation of CW, an increasingly critical environmental infrastructure for advancing multiple sustainable development goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107822"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145264328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"No one-size-fits-all. Multicriteria selection of nature-based wastewater treatment solutions across simulated scenarios","authors":"Josep Pueyo-Ros ,&nbsp;Gianluigi Buttiglieri ,&nbsp;Joaquim Comas","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107859","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107859","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly promoted as sustainable alternatives for wastewater treatment, offering environmental and social co-benefits beyond pollutant removal. However, selecting the most appropriate NBS for a given context remains challenging due to the diversity of available technologies and the complexity of stakeholder priorities. In this study, we used the Nat4Wat decision-support system to simulate 40,000 wastewater treatment scenarios, applying a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) across four water types. We analysed selection patterns, factors limiting solution suitability, and the influence of decision criteria. Results showed that no solution fits all contexts. Some NBS were suitable in only a few contexts, but when applicable, they consistently outperformed other options. Space requirements and capital costs were the most influential criteria, while environmental impact and treatment performance played a smaller role in selection. Notably, 62 % of raw wastewater and 24 % of greywater scenarios had no suitable solution, primarily due to strict nutrient removal requirements. Some NBS consistently underperformed and were never selected. These findings highlight the importance of contextualised planning, the need to address suitability gaps, and the value of structured tools like Nat4Wat for transparent and informed NBS selection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107859"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineered spawning grounds in alpine rivers: Substrate stability is more important than substrate quality","authors":"Julius Gorenz,&nbsp;Elisabeth Winter,&nbsp;Joachim Pander,&nbsp;Juergen Geist","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107861","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107861","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Management of salmonid spawning grounds in non-natural mountain rivers is challenging due to anthropogenically altered discharge regimes and disturbed sediment transport. This study explored the potential of a cost-effective and easily implementable approach to salmonid spawning ground restoration using autochthonous gravel obtained from sediment trap excavation as spawning substrate. Spawning grounds were constructed in three alpine tributaries of the River Inn and assessed through a combination of abiotic habitat characterization and active bioindication with brown trout and Danube salmon eggs. Ecologically relevant parameters of interstitial water and substrate composition revealed heterogeneity across sites, but remained in suitable conditions throughout the developmental period of eggs. Egg-to-fry survival was often higher than 90 % at all sites, even exceeding the open water and hatchery references. Temperature-corrected larval growth was site-dependent and influenced by incubation environment, with interstitial conditions supporting more efficient energy allocation than turbulent open water settings. As scouring is a known problem in streams with high gradient catchments, we measured substrate stability over the egg and larval development. While substrates for fall-spawning brown trout remained stable, spring trials with Danube salmon revealed substantial loss of incubated eggs due to increased discharge extremes and substrate relocation, underscoring the importance of substrate stability. Our findings highlight the viability of combining spawning ground management and periodic sediment trap excavation, and they stress the importance of timing, flexibility and site-specific measures in high-energy mountain streams.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107861"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global review of eco-engineering research with recommendations for nature positive outcomes in coastal ecosystems","authors":"Ahmed K. Gad ,&nbsp;Michael A. Rasheed ,&nbsp;Paula J. Cartwright ,&nbsp;Nathan J. Waltham","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal urbanisation and climate change pressures have intensified interest in eco-engineering solutions to enhance biodiversity and support sustainable coastal development. This study presents a systematic review of applied eco-engineering research conducted exclusively in urbanised seascapes, following PRISMA guidelines. Literature searches in Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest (January 1980 – June 2024) identified 6698 records, of which 128 studies met inclusion criteria. These represented 160 interventions across 26 countries spanning tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones. Interventions were categorised by design type, infrastructure, application phase (retrofit or construction), and target assemblage to evaluate ecological performance relative to unmodified controls. Results show that 143 interventions (89 %) increased species abundance or richness, whereas 17 (11 %) produced neutral or negative effects. Textured panels were most frequently applied (37 %), followed by transplantation (20 %), artificial rockpools (9 %), and pits and grooves (9 %). Simple, low-cost microhabitat additions consistently delivered positive outcomes across climate zones. Yet few studies co-reported asset-relevant engineering metrics along with the ecological part. Persistent research gaps include the absence of baseline data, long-term monitoring, cost-effectiveness assessment, and invasive-species evaluation, together with limited evidence from tropical regions. Findings demonstrate that eco-engineering provides an effective and scalable pathway to improve ecological performance of coastal infrastructure when designs are context-specific, structurally sound, and integrated into planning and retrofitting. Linking biodiversity responses with basic performance and cost information will help translate these ecological successes into widely adoptable, nature-positive coastal development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107855"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying wetland restoration gaps and priorities from the perspective of wetland seasonality","authors":"Xiaowei Li,&nbsp;Xiyong Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107835","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human activities have extensively altered wetland hydrology, which is critical to support wetland vegetation, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Even though wetland hydrology is the local manifestation of landscape-scale processes, restoration activities are typically implemented at individual wetland scale and focus on maximizing restored area. In this study, we propose a landscape approach to identify restoration priorities from the perspective of wetland seasonality. Based on wetland datasets, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), digital elevation model data, meteorological data, and the water availability (WA) index, we analyzed the relationship between wetland seasonality and NDVI, quantified changes in wetland seasonality over 35 years (1985–2020), and identified priorities for wetland restoration in the mid North China Plain (MNCP). The results showed that the annual maximum NDVI was strongly correlated with wetland seasonality (linear fit across seasonality bins; see Methods/Results). In addition to the loss and gain of seasonal water surface area, a marked alteration of the seasonality regimes during 1985–2020 was observed. The priority areas for wetland restoration were primarily found in the southern part, east coast, and central part of the MNCP. Based on the WA in the catchment area of a restorable patch, the WA index provides insight into the self-sustaining potential of wetland hydrology and can be used as an indicator to identify restoration priorities. The results of this study will inform decision makers on explicit locations for wetland restoration at the sub-basin scale. The framework proposed in this work is spatially explicit, effective, and repeatable, and thus it has potential to guide adjustment and inspire optimization of wetland restoration strategies in China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107835"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145322191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An explainable InVEST-XGB-LGB fusion model to inform ecosystem restoration: Deciphering long-term trade-offs and drivers of ecosystem services in the Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau","authors":"Xuemei Bai ,&nbsp;Wende Chen ,&nbsp;Fei Li ,&nbsp;Zhiyuan Bu ,&nbsp;Qiang Dai ,&nbsp;Junchao Dai","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107846","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107846","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research on the spatiotemporal evolution of ecosystem services (ESs) and their driving mechanisms is critical to human well-being. This study presents an integrated assessment of the spatiotemporal changes and driving mechanisms of ESs in the eastern Tibetan Plateau using an InVEST–XGBoost–LightGBM analytical framework. The research procedure is conducted as follows: Firstly, we apply the InVEST model to estimate four ES indicators—Carbon Storage (CS), Habitat Quality (HQ), Soil Conservation (SC), and Water Yield (WY). Secondly, Spearman correlation analysis is used to examine pairwise linear relationships between ESs and 14 variables across four dimensions: meteorological conditions, human disturbance, and natural environment. Finally, we integrate the XGBoost and LightGBM models to quantify the contribution of nine driving factors to five ESs (CS, HQ, SC, WY, and NPP) and compare the temporal changes in factor importance to reveal spatiotemporal dynamics in driving mechanisms. The results show that climatic factors are the dominant drivers over the 30-year period: temperature is the primary factor influencing CS, HQ, SC, and NPP, while precipitation is the main driver of WY. Our study extends the application of GBDT–SHAP methods in plateau ecosystem research and provides a scientific reference for designing local ecosystem restoration strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107846"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145462692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Divergent impacts of natural growth and artificial restoration on plant biomass in the Yellow River Basin","authors":"Jinkai Luan ,&nbsp;Ning Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vegetation change (VC) plays a crucial role in driving fluctuations in ecosystem biomass. However, VC encompasses either natural growth (NG) or artificial restoration (AR), and the specific effects of these two processes on biomass remain inadequately understood. The present study employed an ecohydrological model to evaluate the impacts of NG and AR on biomass in the Chinese Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 1998 to 2020. The results indicate that, over the past 23 years, NG led to 10.3 g C m⁻² (8.4 %) increase in biomass, while AR resulted in somewhat less increase in biomass with just 6.6 g C m⁻² (5.0 %). Overall, VC contributed to a 13.7 % increase in biomass. In most (84.8 %) regions within the YRB, VC positively contributed to biomass enhancement. The biomass increases attributed to NG mainly occur in the northern and northwestern YRB, encompassing 46.3 % of the total basin area. In contrast, regions where AR dominated biomass accumulation are spatially opposite to those primarily influenced by NG, with mostly being located in the southeastern and western YRB. The biomass responses to VC, NG, and AR exhibited pronounced differences across different ecosystem types. Farmlands experienced the most substantial biomass enhancement, followed by forest and grassland ecosystems, while desert ecosystem was the least affected. These findings suggested that, for the whole YRB, NG is more effective than AR in carbon sequestration. This is especially true for the northern and northwestern YRB where climate is more arid. However, in the southeastern YRB and the margianl area of Tibetan Plateau, AR is fine for the ecosystem health and biomass restoration in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107858"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Karst restoration zoning based on fracture-modified minimum cumulative resistance model and ecological network resilience assessment: A case study in Guizhou, China","authors":"Shuang Song ,&nbsp;Shaohan Wang ,&nbsp;Jia Du ,&nbsp;Xuanhe Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107842","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107842","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ecological restoration practices in karst areas often lack systematic spatial analysis and refined zoning guidance, resulting in a spatial mismatch between restoration measures and ecological processes that hinders regional eco-economic coordinated development. Taking Guizhou Province, China, as the study area, this study addresses two core challenges: quantifying karst-specific ecological resistance and establishing resilience-oriented restoration zoning for ecological networks. It innovatively proposes the fracture-modified minimum cumulative resistance (FM-MCR) model. By coupling the fracture density index (FDI) and the fracture hydraulic conductivity index (FHC), this model constructs a nonlinear coupling function to quantify the three-dimensional ecological resistance mechanism, and combines an improved ant colony algorithm to achieve accurate extraction of ecological networks. In addition, breaking through the single connectivity assessment framework, this study establishes a three-dimensional ecological network resilience assessment system that integrates “source restoration-corridor adaptability-network resistance.” Using source Thiessen polygons as basic units, differentiated restoration zones were identified via an optimized K-means clustering algorithm. Results showed that the ecological network comprised 146 sources covering 9277.76 km² and 832 corridors averaging 30.924 km in length. Network resilience exhibited a southeast-high, northwest-low spatial pattern. The Miao Ling-Wu River region in the southeast formed a high-resilience barrier due to intact forest cover, while the Beipan River Canyon in the southwest faced corridor fragmentation risks under dual pressures of karst vulnerability and human activities. Four restoration zones were identified: core conservation zone (15.72 %), corridor optimization zone (23.36 %), network resilience reconstruction zone (34.75 %), and comprehensive restoration zone (26.17 %), with targeted recommendations proposed. This research provides spatially-targeted solutions for coordinating karst ecological restoration with sustainable development goals (SDGs), and its methodology holds transferable value for ecological network construction in globally fractured regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107842"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145413042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Halophytes reclamation soil through improving soil structures, decreasing salinity and enhancing SOC storage in coastal saline land","authors":"Huanyu Chen ,&nbsp;Sunan He ,&nbsp;Ziyan Xue ,&nbsp;Xiao Zhang ,&nbsp;Kai Yu ,&nbsp;Kai Wang ,&nbsp;Angyan Ren ,&nbsp;Jianjun Han ,&nbsp;Xiaohui Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaomei Zhu ,&nbsp;Chong Liu ,&nbsp;Lizhou Hong ,&nbsp;Jincheng Xing","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107860","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107860","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Saline land holds significant potential for carbon sequestration and serves as a crucial reserve of arable land to address global climate change and food security. However, the impact of reclaiming saline land by using <em>Tamarix chinensis</em> (<em>T. chinensis</em>) and <em>Suaeda salsa</em> (<em>S. salsa</em>) as pioneer plants on soil structure and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage remains unclear. To clarify the effects of these two halophytes on the physicochemical properties, aggregation structure, and SOC storage of saline land, this study conducted a field experiment on plots of <em>T. chinensis</em> and <em>S. salsa</em> land that had been cultivated for five years along the coast of the Yellow Sea, with saline bare land as the control. Compared to bare land, <em>T. chinensis</em> was found to decrease the soil bulk density by 0.19, 0.27, and 0.1 g cm⁻³ in the 0–10, 10–20, and 20–40 cm soil depths, respectively. Furthermore, both <em>T. chinensis</em> and <em>S. salsa</em> also increased soil porosity by 18.95 % and 28.63 % in the 0–10 cm soil depth, and by 14.54 % and 23.66 % in the 10–20 cm soil depth, respectively. Both halophytes also significantly enhanced saturated hydraulic conductivity in the 0–20 cm depth. A significant negative correlation was observed between saturated hydraulic conductivity and total soil salt content, this correlation likely facilitated salt leaching, which in turn reduced soil sodium absorption ratio (SAR). Compared to bare land, <em>T. chinensis</em> and <em>S. salsa</em> significantly reduced the soil SAR by 217.01, 122.44, and 83.35 mmol L⁻¹, and 114.90, 68.63, and 25.39 mmol L⁻¹, in the 0–10, 10–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths, respectively. They also significantly increased macroaggregates percentage (&gt; 0.25 mm), with <em>T. chinensis</em> exerting the most pronounced effects. Most SOC storage was concentrated in the 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil depths, and <em>T. chinensis</em> induced the greatest increase-2.44 and 1.97 times higher than that of bare land in these two depths, respectively. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that halophytes primarily promote SOC storage in saline land by increasing the soil carbon-to‑nitrogen (C/N) ratio and the proportion of macroaggregates. This study provides a theoretical basis for the improvement engineering of saline land using <em>T. chinensis</em> and <em>S. salsa</em> as pioneer plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 107860"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145614572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}