<p>Soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in subtropical China’s tea plantations. To control soil erosion, diverse plant species are intercropped among tea plant rows to enhance water and soil conservation efforts. However, the specific influence of these species on eco-hydrological and erosional processes remains insufficiently documented. We selected eight species across three functional groups (i.e., vine, herb, and shrub) for intercropping a popular Wuyi Rock tea cultivar (Rougui) in a soil and water conservation area. Over a two-year period, we assessed the leaf and root traits of the species and monitored soil erosion following six distinct rainfall events. We found that the larger rainfall levels led to increased soil erosion in the tea garden. All intercropping species significantly reduced soil erosion compared to the control in the bare soil area. Notably, shrub species overall demonstrated superior efficacy in soil erosion control than other species due to their larger root diameter, and higher leaf nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Additionally, intercropping these species significantly reduced the loss of soil nutrients in the runoff area. While soil erosion was observed to rise with increasing rainfall intensity, there was no significant correlation between the leaf and root traits of the intercropping species with soil erosion levels. Our study demonstrates that intercropping different functional species, particularly shrubs, effectively reduce soil erosion by modulating leaf and root traits. Compared to vine and herbaceous species, shrubs were more effective in reducing soil loss, likely due to their larger root diameter, higher leaf nitrogen and phosphorus contents, and superior nutrient acquisition capabilities. These traits enhance soil stability and reduce runoff, thereby mitigating soil erosion. Our findings highlight the importance of selecting plant species based on their functional traits for effective soil and water conservation in tea plantations.</p>