Plant–Substrate Interplay Regulates Nutrient Attenuation and Microbial Communities in Vertical-Flow Constructed Wetlands Treating Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent
Advanced treatment of plant effluent (tailwater) is critical for mitigating agricultural non-point source pollution; however, plant–substrate synergy in vertical-flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) remains poorly understood under subtropical conditions. This one-year pilot study evaluated the effects of substrate type (zeolite vs. gravel) and P. australis presence on nutrient removal, seasonal performance stability, and microbial community assembly in tailwater treatment. Methodologically, twelve VFCWs were operated across seasons, and their performance was assessed via water quality monitoring and high-throughput sequencing. The results indicate that all configurations consistently met stringent discharge standards. Planted treatments significantly outperformed unplanted controls in removing TN, COD, and TP (p < 0.05), while no significant difference emerged between zeolite- and gravel-planted systems, confirming vegetation’s dominance over substrate selection under low-concentration loads. Seasonal analysis revealed temperature-dependent TN removal (p < 0.01), whereas TP, COD, and NH4+-N removal remained stable. Microbial analysis showed P. australis selectively enriched functional taxa driving N and organic matter mineralization despite a shared core microbiome at the genus level. Gravel-planted VFCWs exhibited superior long-term resilience compared to the transient sorption of zeolites. We considered that vegetation-driven biological pathways offer a resilient design for polishing nutrients in tailwater, showing potential for agricultural irrigation and nutrient interception.