Although the runner reed (Phragmites japonicus) is known to act as an ecosystem engineer in various types of wetland ecosystems, little is known about the mechanisms underlying its interaction with neighbouring plants. We investigated the ecological characteristics (structure, growth, and associated vegetation) of P. japonicus tussocks involving associated species based on the developmental stages of P. japonicus. Vegetational characteristics, such as plant density and species richness, showed humped-back relationships with the characteristics of tussock structure (i.e., surface area and height) and P. japonicus growth, possibly indicating the effects of developmental stage on associated plant species. In particular, most vegetated tussocks were classified as late-intermediate stage, which supported the maximum number of associated species, compared to other stages. The tussock vegetation consisted of annual hygrophytes, such as Polygonum thunbergii, Lindernia micrantha, and Bidens frondosa, suggesting that P. japonicus tussocks provide a favourable microhabitat for annual hygrophytes rather than perennial hydrophytes. In conclusion, as an ecosystem engineer contributing to topographic variability, P. japonicus increases the heterogeneity of wetland vegetation by enabling annual hygrophytes to occur within wetlands dominated by perennial hydrophytes, possibly resulting in enhanced biodiversity.

尽管众所周知，芦苇（芦苇）在各种类型的湿地生态系统中充当生态系统工程师，但对其与邻近植物相互作用的机制知之甚少。我们研究了生态特性的（结构，成长性，以及相关的植物）P.刺参基础上的发展阶段，涉及相关物种的草丛P.刺参。植物密度和物种丰富度等植被特征与草丛结构特征（即表面积和高度）和日本对虾呈驼背关系生长，可能表明发育阶段对相关植物物种的影响。特别是，大多数植物丛被归类为中晚期，与其他阶段相比，它支持最大数量的相关物种。草丛植被由一年生水生植物组成，例如何首乌、林德尼亚和绿叶松，表明日本草丛为一年生水生植物而非多年生水生植物提供了有利的微生境。总之，作为促成地形变异的生态系统工程师，P. japonicus 通过使一年生水生植物出现在以多年生水生植物为主的湿地内，增加了湿地植被的异质性，可能导致生物多样性增强。