Pinus massonianais a major fast-growing timber tree species planted in arid areas of south China, which has a certain drought-resistant ability. However, severe drought and long-term water shortage limit its normal growth and development. Therefore, in this study, physiological indices, and the transcriptome sequencing and cloning ofAP2/ERFtranscription factor ofP. massonsianawere determined to clarify its molecular mechanism of drought stress. The results showed that stomatal conductance (Gs) content was significantly decreased, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and abscisic acid (ABA) content were significantly increased under drought stress. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that compared to the control, 9, 3550, and 4142 unigenes with differential expression were identified by comparing plants subjected to light, moderate or severe drought.AP2/ERFwith high expression was screened out for cloning. To investigate the biological functions ofERF1, it was over-expressed in wild-typePopulus davdianaand×P. bolleanavia the leaf disc method. Under drought stress, compared to wild-type plants,ERF1over-expressing poplar lines (OE) maintained a higher photosynthetic rate and growth, while the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance significantly decreased and water use efficiency was improved, indicating that drought tolerance was enhanced. This study provides an insight into the molecular mechanism of drought stress adaptation inP. massoniana.