Due to the special attributes of clonal integration and spatial expansion, clonal plant species show high ecological adaptation and fitness in heterogeneous environments. It may be one of the important reasons for their widespread distribution in ecosystems. Currently, the effects of clonal integration have been well studied at individual and population levels, but have received much less attention at community and ecosystem levels. Previous studies have shown that clonal integration could influence individual competitiveness, soil physical and chemical properties, and rhizosphere microorganisms. These effects of clonal integration are conducive to the successful invasion of alien clonal plants and are also potentially useful for habitat restoration and vegetation reconstruction. In this review, we summarized the impacts of clonal integration on communities and ecosystems where clonal plant species played dominant roles. Firstly, we reviewed the effect of clonal integration on community structure and productivity, rhizosphere microorganisms, soil fauna, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. Secondly, we elucidated the potential mechanisms underlying the roles of clonal integration and spatial expansion in restoring degraded ecosystems. We proposed that future studies of clonal integration should consider both micro (e.g., rhizosphere process) and macro (e.g., community and ecosystem) levels and both short- and long-term impacts. Additionally, to synthetically understand the ecological significance of clonal integration, future studies should link it with other ecological processes such as plant-soil feedback.