Abstract: Water-level fluctuation and dry-wet alternation are the key factors affecting plant community and soil stabilization in the water-level fluctuating area (WLFA). Meanwhile, plant community greatly contributes to the soil aggregate stability in the WLFA. Studying the influence of plant community structure and plant functional traits on soil aggregate stability in the WLFA can help predict plant succession and reveal its influence mechanism on bank stability. We reviewed the responses of plant communities to water-level fluctuation, and focused on the impacts of plant functional traits on soil aggregates in the WLFA. In future studies, we should pay more attention to the traits of root architecture and rhizosphere microorganisms, and strengthen the studies of plant community composition, the effects of aboveground and belowground traits on the stability of soil aggregates. Such efforts will be helpful for   understanding the influence mechanism of plant community on soil aggregate stability under hydrological stresses, providing theoretical support for ecological regulation and restoration in the WLFA.

Key words: dry-wet alternation, plant-soil, rhizosphere microbial trait, root architecture trait.