Halophytic ecosystems in arid coastal zones are vulnerable to environmental change, yet biodiversity-soil feedbacks in these regions remain poorly understood. This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics of plant diversity and soil properties across five distinct halophytic ecosystems coastal strand, estuarine wetland, seasonal monsoonal wetland, perennial wetland complex, and saline grassland in the Porbandar region of Gujarat, India. Field surveys and soil sampling were conducted pre- and post-monsoon to assess alpha and beta diversity, soil characteristics, and their interrelationships. Results revealed that seasonal monsoon pulses significantly reshaped plant communities, increasing alpha diversity in most ecosystems by temporarily reducing salinity stress. Beta diversity was overwhelmingly driven by species turnover (replacement) rather than nestedness, reflecting strong environmental filtering and niche partitioning across the ecosystem mosaic. Multivariate analyses, including hierarchical clustering and canonical correspondence analysis, demonstrated a significant decoupling between soil property gradients and biodiversity structure, indicating that plant community assembly is not solely determined by edaphic factors. The findings underscore that seasonal hydrology and biogeographic disjunction are critical drivers of halophytic community composition, with implications for the conservation and management of these ecosystems under changing climatic conditions. Monsoon pulses act as a seasonal reset, temporarily reducing salinity stress and boosting plant diversity in most halophytic ecosystems, but also triggering significant community reassembly. Plant community differences are driven overwhelmingly by species turnover (replacement) rather than nestedness, reflecting strong environmental filtering and niche specialization across the coastal ecosystem mosaic. A significant structural decoupling exists between soil properties and biodiversity patterns, indicating that plant community assembly is not solely determined by local edaphic factors. Hydrology and biogeographic context are critical drivers, with seasonal water availability and landscape position often overriding soil chemistry in shaping community composition. Ecosystems exhibit distinct seasonal dominance shifts, with key halophytes like Aeluropus lagopoides and Bolboschoenus maritimus showing contrasting responses to pre- and post-monsoon conditions. The findings underscore the need for mosaic-based conservation strategies that preserve hydrological gradients and habitat heterogeneity to maintain regional biodiversity and ecosystem resilience under climate change.
Odedra et al. (Sat,) studied this question.