The use of functional traits (FTs) can provide quantitative information to explain macrophyte ecology more effectively than traditional taxonomic-based methods. This research aims to elucidate the trait-based approaches used in recent macrophyte studies to outline their applications, shortcomings, and future challenges. A systematic literature review focused on macrophytes and FTs was carried out on Scopus database (last accessed May 2020). The latest 520 papers published from 2010 to 2020, which represent 70 % of the whole literature selected since 1969, were carefully screened. Reviewed studies mainly investigated: 1) the role of FTs in shaping communities; 2) the responses of macrophytes to environmental gradients; 3) the application of FTs in monitoring anthropic pressures; and 4) the reasons for success of invasive species. Studied areas were concentrated in Europe (41 %) and Asia (32 %), overlooking other important biodiversity hotspots, and only 6.2 % of the world macrophytes species were investigated in dedicated single species studies. The FTs most commonly used include leaf economic and morphological traits, and we noticed a lack of attention on root traits and in general on spatial traits patterns, as well as a relatively poor understanding of how FTs mediate biotic interactions. High-throughput techniques, such as remote sensing, allow to map fine-scale variability of selected traits within and across systems, helping to clarify multiple links of FTs with ecological drivers and processes. We advise to promote investigations on root traits, and to push forward the integration of multiple approaches to better clarify the role of macrophytes at multiple scales.

功能性状（FTs）的使用可提供定量信息，以比传统的基于分类的方法更有效地解释大型植物生态学。这项研究旨在阐明近来大型植物研究中使用的基于特征的方法，概述其应用，缺点和未来的挑战。在Scopus数据库上进行了针对大型植物和FT的系统文献综述（最新访问时间为2020年5月）。精心筛选了2010年至2020年发表的最新520篇论文，占1969年以来全部文献的70％。已审查的研究主要调查以下内容：1）FT在塑造社区中的作用；2）大型植物对环境梯度的响应；3）FTs在监测人类压力方面的应用；4）入侵物种成功的原因。研究区域集中在欧洲（41％）和亚洲（32％），忽略了其他重要的生物多样性热点，并且在专门的单一物种研究中仅调查了世界大型植物物种的6.2％。最常用的FTs包括叶片的经济和形态性状，我们注意到对根系性状和总体上对空间性状模式的关注不足，并且对FTs如何介导生物相互作用的理解相对较差。诸如遥感之类的高通量技术可以绘制出系统内和跨系统所选性状的细微变化，从而有助于阐明FTs与生态驱动因素和过程的多重联系。我们建议促进对根性状的研究，并推动多种方法的整合，以更好地阐明大型植物在多种尺度上的作用。