The　organic　matter　in　municipal　wastewater　can　be　recovered　by　anaerobic　biological　treatment,　making　further　resource　utilization　of　municipal　wastewater,　which　meets　the　requirements　of　sustainable　development.　An　upflow　anaerobic　biofilter　(UAF)　treating　municipal　wastewater　was　established.　The　performances　of　stable　operation　and　recovery　operation　of　UAF　after　long-term　starvation　(234　days)　and　the　changes　of　microbial　community　structure　were　researched.　By　gradually　reducing　HRT　from　10　h　to　4　h,　the　UAF　achieved　the　treatment　performance　of　pre-starvation　after　only　50　days　recovery　operation,　in　which　total　COD　and　soluble　COD　removal　efficiencies　reached　66　%　and　69　%,　respectively,　and　the　CH4　production　rate　was　0.21　L　CH4/g　CODremoval.　The　recovery　performance　of　UAF　after　long　term　starvation　showed　that　the　recovery　sequence　of　three　main　anaerobic　processes　was　hydrolytic　acidification,　hydrogen-acetate　production　and　methanogenesis.　High-throughput　sequencing　results　indicated　that　dominant　bacteria　associated　with　hydrolytic　acidification　process　changed　from　Moduliflexaceae　and　Trichococcus　in　stable　operation　stage　to　Trichococcus　and　Romboutsia　in　recovery　stage.　Besides,　the　dominant　archaea　changed　from　Methanosaeta　(hydrotrophic　methanogens)　to　Methanobacterium　(acetotrophic　methanogens),　showing　Methanobacterium　was　more　resistant　to　starvation　environment.　Therefore,　by　using　UAF　for　biological　treatment　of　organic　matter,　even　after　a　long　period　of　starvation,　the　system　would　not　be　completely　destroyed.　Once　it　resumed　operation,　the　treatment　performance　could　be　restored　in　a　short　period　of　time.　©　2025