Studying the relationship between plant communities and the environment from the perspective of leaf functional traits of plant communities can help explore the adaptive strategies of plants. However, there is still a need for in-depth research of leaf functional traits of plant communities in central bar. Therefore, this study selected 8 indicators of leaf functional traits of plant communities and 9 indicators of soil physicochemical properties. In order to explore the characteristics of leaf functional traits of plant communities and soil indicators, and their response mechanisms in 3 different habitat types (sandy beach of bank, mudflat of bank and forest land of central bar) of 5 central bars in the Fuzhou Reach of Minjiang River. Except for soil temperature, the other eight soil physical and chemical factors showed significant differences among different habitats on the central bar. There were significant differences in leaf functional traits among plant communities in different habitats on the central bar. In the shrub layer, the leaf area of the central forest (80.935 cm²) was significantly higher than that of the mudflat of bank (31.685 cm²) and sandy beach of bank (14.280 cm²). In the herb layer, the specific leaf area of forest land of central bar (535.684 cm²/g) was significantly higher than that of sandy beach of bank (384.974 cm²/g). However, in the arbor layer, there was no significant difference in leaf functional traits among plant communities in different habitats. The main soil factors affecting leaf functional traits of plant communities in different habitats of central bar were not entirely same. Soil temperature was the main factor in sandy beach of bank, while soil water content, soil total carbon content, and soil bulk density were the main factors in mudflat of bank, and soil bulk density and soil water content were the main factors in forest land of central bar. The research found that compared with the forest land of central bar which was relatively far from the Minjiang River, the disturbance of river hydrodynamics and tides led to changes in the habitat of sandy beach of bank and mudflat of bank. Therefore, plant communities adjusted their adaptation strategies for resource allocation and utilization, balancing functional trait combinations to adapt to environmental changes.