Abstract: As one of the main measures of habitat management, reasonable intercropping of functional plants in tea garden can shade tea bushes and keep them warm, conserve water and soil, increase fertility and promote growth, as well as maintain micro-habitat stability. It also can attract natural enemies, repel pests, reduce the damage caused by diseases, insects, and weeds in tea garden, therefore it is beneficial for improving the quality and efficiency of the tea. However, unreasonable intercropping will destroy the micro-habitat of tea garden, compete for nutrients, thus affecting the growth of tea plants. In this paper, the intercropping of functional plants and their effects on the ecosystem functions and services in tea garden in recent years were reviewed. These effects mainly included the species, management models, functions and common problems with the most widely used functional plants, as well as the regulatory effects of intercropping of functional plants on the growth and development of tea plants, tea quality and yield, and tea pests. The ultimate goal of this paper was to provide guidance for the application of intercropping measures to promote the comprehensive regulation of pests in tea garden, and enhance the ecosystem functions and services of tea garden.

Key words: Intercropping, habitat management, ecological control, ecosystem services, ecosystem functions