Simulation of multispecies interactions and ecosystem functions based on functional-structural plant models: a review

Under the dual pressures of sustained global population growth and climate change, food security and agricultural sustainability are facing unprecedented challenges. Agricultural ecosystems based on the principle of multispecies coexistence have emerged as a key strategy for addressing these challenges, owing to their advantages in resource use efficiency and ecological sustainability. Functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) explicitly simulate plant growth and development through three-dimensional architectures and tightly couple these processes with the dynamic acquisition and allocation of environmental resources, such as light, water, and nutrients, thereby providing a powerful framework for elucidating the underlying mechanisms of interspecific interactions at the individual scale. This review systematically synthesizes recent advances in the application of FSPMs to multispecies systems, including aboveground light competition and canopy structural optimization, the adaptive significance of plant phenotypic plasticity in interspecific interactions, and belowground root interactions and resource acquisition strategies. It further identifies current limitations of FSPM-based studies, particularly in representing multispecies synergistic interactions and in the parameterization of belowground processes, and highlights future research directions toward the development of cross-scale, long-term, and multi-trophic integrated FSPMs. These insights provide a theoretical basis and strategic guidance for optimizing farmland management and advancing model-driven precision agriculture. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.