• • Leaf structural adaptation: upper epidermis thickness increased by 50% and total leaf thickness by 27.38% under rocky desertification, enhancing drought tolerance and water-use efficiency.
• • Physiological upregulation: chlorophyll a and b contents increased by 3.55 mg·g−1 and 1.39 mg·g−1, respectively, while SOD, CAT, and POD activities rose, collectively boosting photosynthetic capacity and oxidative stress resistance.
• • Soil physical amelioration: bulk density decreased by 0.57 g·cm−3; total porosity, field water capacity, and capillary porosity increased by up to 3.35%, 18.87%, and 14.19% respectively, improving soil structure and water retention.
• • Soil fertility enhancement: organic matter content rose from Grade IV (deficient) to Grade II (rich), demonstrating significant nutrient accumulation and soil quality improvement.