Long‐term dynamics of plant community functional composition influenced by ecological filters interplay in post‐earthquake slope revegetation

Natural disturbances such as earthquakes can severely impact the degradation of the regional ecosystem. Investigating the driving factors behind community composition and functional diversity in post‐earthquake slope revegetation holds significant potential for guiding ecological restoration efforts on slopes. This study conducted field experiments in the Wenchuan earthquake area of Sichuan, China, employing methods with a non‐metric multidimensional scale and a linear mixed‐effects model to assess how seed mix (biotic filters) and climate (abiotic filters) influence long‐term changes in the functional composition of post‐earthquake slope revegetation communities. The results indicate that: (1) Climate, seed mix, and age of restoration significantly affect slope community composition ( p < 0.001). As restoration progresses, the influence of climate on community composition remains pronounced, while the community composition under different seed mixes tends to become more homogeneous. (2) Seed mix, climate, age of restoration, and their interactions collectively drive the functional traits of slope revegetation communities ( p < 0.05). With succession, the specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen content decrease while leaf dry matter content and seed mass increase, indicating a shift toward more resource‐conservative traits. (3) Functional richness (FRic), functional evenness (FEve), and functional dispersion (FDis) increase with restoration time, while functional divergence decreases. Climate, age of restoration, and their interaction significantly influence FRic, whereas age of restoration has a notable impact on FDis and FEve. These findings provide valuable insights for managers in selecting appropriate restoration strategies across different climates and contribute to the development of post‐earthquake slope ecological restoration strategies.