Abstract: Physiological and ecological characteristics of 3 wild groundcover plants were studied under different traffic stress. The results indicated that the coverage and aboveground biomass of Potentilla flagellaris Willd ex Sehleeht decreased fastest under severe traffic stress, 46.58% and 43.53% lower than control respectively. Cellulose content of Plantago asiatica L. was the highest under severe traffic stress, 43.31% higher than control. MDA of Viola philippica Makin. was the least under medium traffic stress, 28.57% higher than control. Chlorophyll content of V. philippica Makin. was most sensitive to traffic stress, 45.21%(p<0.05) higher than control under light traffic stress and 29.37% lower than control under severe traffic stress. Net photosynthesis rate of three wild groundcover plants under severe traffic stress decreased significantly. Based on comprehensive analysis of physiological and ecological indices, it could be concluded that traffic tolerance among the three wild groundcover plants was in the descending order of P. asiatica L.>V. philippica Makin.>P. flagellaris Willd ex Sehleeht.

Key words: traffic stress, wild groundcover plants, physiology and ecological, response characteristics