Habitat fragmentation threatens the sustainability of ecological restoration. Understanding the variation in intraspecific traits helped to reveal the functional resource-use strategies of plants in response to environmental changes. We sampled different landscape types of forest configurations, where the most widespread species was Robinia pseudoacacia. From each plot, from two to five R. pseudoacacia individuals were selected for further examinations. Plant development and leaf traits—leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and leaf thickness (Lth)—were measured in 135 individuals in total. The effects of plant development and landscape fragmentation on R. pseudoacacia leaf traits were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. The environmental factors explained the changes in leaf traits of R. pseudoacacia individuals, and the effect of stand type was the most significant. Compared with continuous forests, R. pseudoacacia individuals in fragmented forests adopted a more conservative resource-use strategy, with smaller LA and SLA and larger Lth and LDMC values. With an increase in landscape heterogeneity, SLA increased and LDMC decreased. In conclusion, the occurrence of landscape fragmentation plays a substantial role in inducing changes in leaf characteristics. The restoration of fragmented forests to continuous forests requires the appropriate addition of land-use types and systematic adjustment of landscape configurations.

The Grain for Green Project (GGP) aims to protect and improve the ecological environment, end farming on sloping farmland, and plant trees and restore forest vegetation. China’s GGP has been widely implemented, but its impact on the environment is rarely evaluated from farmers’ perspectives. This study took place in Zhidan and Yanchang Counties, Shaanxi Province. Farmers’ attitudes towards the GGP were investigated through semi-structured interviews to understand their perceptions of changes in ecosystem services and their level of ecological awareness, as well as analyzing which factors had the greatest impact on them. Our results indicate that some farmers are not satisfied with the GGP and are unwilling to participate in future GGPs, which is not only due to the dissatisfaction with subsidies offered but also because the needs of the farmers have been ignored. From the perspective of farmers, the GGP has greatly reduced soil erosion and air pollution but has had no effect on improving water quality and protecting biodiversity. More male farmers are willing to participate, and farmers with higher levels of education are more satisfied with the GGP. We also found that the level of understanding of ecological cognition affected farmers’ attitudes, and farmers with different levels of knowledge differ in their willingness to participate. Our research found that many farmers were dissatisfied with the GGP. To improve this situation, it is necessary to improve the ecological awareness of farmers. At the same time, policy makers should also further understand the needs of farmers in order to make reasonable management strategies.

The majority of the world’s forests are located at landscape edges and are highly fragmented; the plantations on the Loess Plateau are no exception, experiencing pronounced edge effects. However, edge effects are often overlooked in assessments of carbon storage and biodiversity, and the extent and impact of these effects on Loess Plateau plantations remain inadequately understood. The objective of this study is to reveal how edge effects influence biodiversity and species composition and to examine their long-term impacts on ecosystem structure and function. Furthermore, it aims to explore the mechanisms underlying edge effects in plantation systems. Examining these effects is essential for guiding forest management practices and formulating effective biodiversity conservation strategies, thereby providing scientific insights to support the ecological restoration and sustainable management of plantations. In this study, we classified 44 sample plots into four groups according to their distances from the plantation edges to compare and analyze species composition. Additionally, we evaluated the intensity and range of edge effects on stand structure, species diversity, and carbon storage. The Shannon index of understory vegetation was used as the dependent variable, with canopy cover, edge distance, and stand density as independent variables. We used multiple linear regression to examine the effects of these factors on the Shannon index of understory vegetation (shrubs, herbs, and trees). The key findings were as follows: (1) Tree height did not exhibit edge effects across any distance range, while the Shannon index, species richness, and carbon storage showed edge effects within 54 m from the edge. Diameter at breast height (DBH), stand density, and canopy cover exhibited edge effects within 0–83 m from the edge. (2) The significance values for edge distance and canopy cover in the linear regression with the Shannon index were 0.99 and 0.51, respectively, showing no significant correlation. In contrast, stand density had a significant positive effect on the Shannon index (p = 0.03). (3) Notable differences in understory species composition were observed between the outermost and innermost groups of the plantation. Climatic conditions on the Loess Plateau exert a dominant influence on understory plants, altering species composition and abundance. High stand density appeared to moderate the microclimate, contributing to a higher understory Shannon index, but reducing carbon storage. Our findings suggest that the edge effects of plantation forests on the Loess Plateau exert varying degrees of influence on different indicators. Management decisions should be guided by the specific silvicultural objectives, whether the manager’s goals are to optimize biomass accumulation, enhance species recovery, or achieve a balance between these two goals.