Management　intensity　was　considered　an　important　factor　in　evaluating　and　regulating　the　anthropogenic　restoration　measures　for　a　degraded　ecosystem.　By　comparing　selected　conventional　soil　physicochemical,　microbial　and　incorporating　aggregate-associated　indices　between　wetland　plot　with　high-intensity　freshwater　replenishment　(HI　wetlands)　and　wetland　plot　with　low-intensity　freshwater　replenishment　(LI　wetlands),　edaphic　responses　of　degraded　estuarine　wetlands　to　freshwater　replenishment　at　different　intensity　were　assessed　in　the　present　study.　The　results　showed　that　high-intensity　freshwater　replenishment　exerted　better　soil　salinization　and　alkalization　alleviation　effects　on　degraded　estuarine　wetlands,　which　caused　lower　EC　and　pH　values　in　HI　wetlands　than　those　in　LI　wetlands.　And　soil　microbial　biomass　was　promoted,　with　freshwater　replenishment　intensity　increased,　as　indicated　by　MBC　and　total　PLFAs.　Minor　alternation　of　soil　microbial　community　composition　was　observed　with　an　elevated　abundance　of　arbuscular　mycorrhizal　fungi　(AMF)　in　HI　wetlands.　On　the　other　hand,　freshwater　replenishment　at　low　intensity　was　found　to　contribute　to　organic　matter　accumulation,　as　indicated　by　both　higher　SOC　concentrations　and　carbon　stocks　in　LI　wetlands　than　those　in　HI　wetlands.　And　soil　aggregate-associated　indicators　provided　more　scientific　clues　that　freshwater　replenishment　at　low　intensity　favored　the　formation　of　large　macroaggregates,　and　thus　supported　higher　soil　aggregate　stability.　Moreover,　a　transfer　of　allocations　of　aggregate-associated　carbon　and　nitrogen　stocks　from　microaggregates　to　large　macroaggregates　was　induced　as　the　freshwater　replenishment　intensity　decreased,　and　the　principle　governing　factors　were　the　proportion　of　large　macroaggregates　in　soils,　soil　salinity　and　microbial　decomposition　rates　based　on　multivariate　statistical　analysis.　The　findings　of　this　study　could　provide　basic　data　regarding　soil　physicochemical　properties,　microbial　characteristics　and　soil　structure　stability　in　restored　wetlands　of　the　Yellow　River　Delta　with　freshwater　replenishment　at　different　intensity　and　guiding　adaptive　management　strategies　of　freshwater　replenishment　to　enhance　the　ecological　functions　of　estuarine　wetlands.　©　2020　Elsevier　Ltd