Data from: A guild-based framework for restoring plant diversity on reservoir shorelines through active plant introduction

Reservoir shorelines of regulated rivers, created by over 2.8 million dams
worldwide, have experienced substantial biodiversity loss, particularly in
plant communities. While actively introducing local riparian plants is a
common restoration strategy, existing approaches often lack applicability
and transferability across river basins. To address this, we propose a
guild-based restoration framework that classifies plant species used for
restoration into guilds based on shared functional traits and adaptive
strategies. This approach allows for evaluating restoration outcomes
across guilds along environmental gradients, optimizing restoration
design. We tested this framework along the shorelines of the
Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), characterized by steep environmental
gradients. Plant guilds were identified based on shared functional traits,
focusing on hydrological and geomorphological associations. The
effectiveness of guild introductions was assessed across gradients of
submergence intensity, topography, and substrate properties by comparing
outcomes to those of spontaneous colonization. Results showed
that under intermediate and high submergence intensity, active plant
introduction and spontaneous colonization yielded similar restoration
outcomes, with short-clonal flood-tolerant herbs naturally dominating. At
low submergence intensity, the introduction of flood-tolerant woody plants
increased functional diversity, whereas tall-clonal flood-tolerant herbs
reduced diversity due to competitive exclusion. Actively introduced plants
did not suppress invasive species. Unexpectedly, under intermediate
submergence intensity, introduction was associated with increased invasive
plant presence. Synthesis and applications. Our study validates the
guild-based framework as an effective approach for shoreline vegetation
restoration in regulated rivers. We show that guild identity and
submergence intensity jointly shape restoration outcomes, offering
insights for optimizing active plant introduction strategies in the TGR
and similar reservoirs in the upper Yangtze River. Furthermore, this
framework enhances the transferability of restoration practices by
offering a functionally driven approach to species selection across river
basins.