Ecological effect of Dicranopteris pedata and its resource utilization: A review

Dicranopteris pedata is a herb species that is widely distributed in subtropical and tropical shrublands and forest ecosystems, and it plays an important role in the ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems. In addition, resource utilization by D. pedata has received extensive attention because it has considerable medicinal value. In recent decades, numerous studies on the ecological effect and resource utilization of D. pedata have been carried out across the globe. In this study, the photosynthetic eco-physiology responses of D. pedata to disturbance caused by shade and acid rain were investigated. This study also tracked D. pedata adaptation to a metal stress environment, reviews its allelopathic effects, and summarizes its functional traits. The ecological effects of D. pedata on nutrient cycling and soil biota were identified and resource utilization by D. pedata was determined. Finally, key research areas for future studies are proposed and discussed. That is, there should be a focus on the following research fields: 1) the genetic mechanisms underlying heavy metal hyperaccumulation and tolerance at the genetic level; 2) D. pedata community dynamics and their driving mechanisms; 3) the processes and mechanisms controlling the responses to global change shown by D. pedata and its interactions with plants and soil biota; 4) isolation and identification of allelochemicals; and 5) analysis, isolation, and purification of medicinal ingredients and evaluation of their drug activities. This information will provide a theoretical basis for the comprehensive exploitation and utilization of D. pedata.