Diversity patterns of wet meadows along geochemical gradients in central Spain

Four measures of biodiversity (species number per site, total species number, mean similarity and mosaic diversity) and their relationships with soil chemical composition were studied in vascular plant communities in groundwater discharge ecosystems of central Spain. Species richness decreased with increasing salinity, alkalinity and halite concentration. Species richness was apparently controlled more by soil toxicity than by soil nutrient levels, although a positive correlation of Ca²⁺ with species richness was found after accounting for the effects of toxic compounds. All relationships were strictly monotonic. Six community types were identified based on their soil chemical characteristics: glycophyte, subglycophyte, tolerant, subalkalinophyte, alkalinophyte, and halocalcicole communities. Within community types, species richness showed very few significant relationships with soil characteristics. Mean species richness was lowest in the environmentally stressful communities. Total species richness was greatest in the ecotonal community type. Mean similarity, a measure of among-community diversity, and mosaic diversity, a measure of landscape complexity, differed among community types. Mean similarity was smaller (higher diversity) in species-poor community types, while mosaic diversity was greatest (greater complexity) in species-rich community types. The halocalcicole community type was richest in rare species.