Mangroves are important ecosystems of the global subtropical zone providing a wide range of ecosystem services. They are sensitive to human disturbances and climate change. However, regional assessments of species composition, forest structure and soil characteristics, and knowledge of the environmental factors that contribute to regional variation in their characteristics are limited. We surveyed mangrove communities at seven island locations along 450 km of the sandy south-east Queensland coast. We found no latitudinal trends in richness of common species or their abundance, likely due to shared climatic conditions across our study range, however there was considerable variation in forest structure among and within the seven sites. Over all sites, analysis of soil characteristics identified four hydro-edaphic environmental categories differing in soil water content, dry bulk density, organic matter and porewater salinity, which also varied spatially among and within sites. There were few strong relationships among forest structure and hydro-edaphic categories, although relatively small trees and high stem densities tended to be associated with soils having high soil water content, high levels of soil organic matter and low bulk density, while forests with largest trees and lowest stem densities tended to be associated with soils with intermediate characteristics, indicative of regular inundation and drainage. The two most common species (Avicennia marina and Rhizophora stylosa) had very broad distributions over the four hydro-edaphic categories, although A. marina tended to be more strongly associated with soils with high water content where R. stylosa had a lower probability of occurrence. Bruguiera gymnorrhiza had high fidelity to locations with low porewater salinity influenced by groundwater. We conclude that hydrological conditions are key determinants of mangrove soil characteristics, but less important in determining forest structure in the subtropics. Our study provides a baseline from which future change in mangrove soils and forest structure can be detected.

红树林是全球亚热带地区的重要生态系统，可提供广泛的生态系统服务。他们对人为干扰和气候变化敏感。但是，对物种组成，森林结构和土壤特征的区域评估以及对导致区域特征变化的环境因素的了解有限。我们调查了昆士兰州东南沿海多沙的450公里处七个岛屿位置的红树林群落。我们没有发现常见物种丰富度或丰富度的纬度趋势，这可能是由于我们研究范围内共同的气候条件引起的，但是在这七个地点之间和之内的森林结构存在相当大的差异。在所有网站上 对土壤特征的分析确定了四个水-土壤环境类别，这些类别在土壤含水量，干容重，有机质和孔隙水盐度方面存在差异，并且在站点之间和站点内部也存在空间差异。尽管相对较小的树木和较高的茎密度往往与土壤水含量高，土壤有机质含量高和堆积密度低的土壤有关，但森林结构与水土分类之间的密切关系很少。最低的茎密度往往与中等特性的土壤有关，这表明有规律的淹没和排水。两种最常见的物种（尽管相对较小的树木和较高的茎密度往往与土壤水含量高，土壤有机质含量高和堆积密度低的土壤有关，但森林结构与水土分类之间的密切关系很少。最低的茎密度往往与中等特性的土壤有关，这表明有规律的淹没和排水。两种最常见的物种（尽管相对较小的树木和较高的茎密度往往与土壤水含量高，土壤有机质含量高和堆积密度低的土壤有关，但森林结构与水土分类之间的密切关系很少。最低的茎密度往往与中等特性的土壤有关，这表明有规律的淹没和排水。两种最常见的物种（指示经常浸水和排水。两种最常见的物种（指示经常浸水和排水。两种最常见的物种（滨藜和圆根Rhizophora stylosa）在四个水-edaphic类别中具有非常广泛的分布，尽管滨海假单胞菌倾向于与含水量较高的土壤相关，而其中St.osa的发生概率较低。圆叶布鲁氏菌具有高保真度，受地下水影响的孔隙水盐度低。我们得出的结论是，水文条件是决定红树林土壤特征的关键因素，但在确定亚热带森林结构方面不那么重要。我们的研究提供了一个基线，从中可以发现红树林土壤和森林结构的未来变化。