Photosynthetic acclimation of riparian plant Distylium chinense to heterogeneous habitats

•Different temperatures, air humidity, soil moisture content, and light intensity had significant effects on the photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of Distylium chinense from heterogeneous habitats.•D. chinense adopted different photosynthetic acclimation patterns and species-specific water use strategies under heterogeneous habitats.•D. chinense adjusted leaf area, specific leaf area, stomatal conductance, photochemical quenching coefficient and non-photochemical quenching to photochemically fix and store more carbon to meet their needs for growth under heterogeneous habitats.