Mangrove ecosystems are remarkable coastal environments that thrive at the interface between land and sea, playing a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and safeguarding coastal agricultural and fisheries productivity through erosion control, nutrient cycling, and salinity buffering. The physicochemical properties of mangrove soils underpin the health of these ecosystems, particularly for Avicennia marina, a keystone species critical to coastal resilience and habitat provisioning. However, anthropogenic disturbances threaten their sustainability and compromise their ability to deliver vital ecosystem services. Soil samples from undisturbed (Southern Corniche, Jeddah) and disturbed (Masturah) mangrove sites were analyzed for physicochemical characteristics to assess potential anthropogenic impacts along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. From six locations (undisturbed: Jeddah, n=3; disturbed: Masturah, n=3) soil samples were analyzed for texture, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), water content (%WC), total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (TP), organic carbon (TOC), macronutrients (Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Undisturbed soils exhibited significantly higher moisture, TN, TP, and TOC—key indicators of nutrient retention and carbon sequestration capacity—while disturbed soils were more alkaline, a condition linked to diminished nutrient cycling and plant stress. Macronutrient distribution (Na⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > K⁺) remained consistent across sites, suggesting salinity-driven nutrient imbalances may limit mangrove recovery. These findings highlight how soil degradation in disturbed mangroves reduces their ability to stabilize sediments, mitigate saltwater intrusion, and sustain fisheries nurseries, directly impacting coastal communities. Moreover, these soil changes reduce mangrove capacity to buffer adjacent farmland from salinization and erosion, threatening agricultural productivity and undermining carbon sequestration goals central to climate mitigation. To enhance ecosystem resilience, we recommend the application of soil organic amendments and the strategic conservation of high-carbon mangrove zones, in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 sustainability framework. This study highlights the critical importance of safeguarding mangrove soils as foundational natural infrastructure for climate adaptation and food security in arid coastal environments.

Nano-silica (Si) and nano-zinc (Zn) are increasingly used to mitigate drought stress, yet their combined effects on both plant physiology and essential oil

Biochar is widely reported to buffer drought by improving soil water-holding capacity and nutrient availability, but whether it also modulates polyol metabolism linked to osmotic adjustment in tomato remains underexplored. Here we integrate physiological (polyol pools, SDH enzyme) and molecular (SDH transcripts) readouts with explicit soil and material characterisation to test how a wood-derived biochar alters the sorbitol/ribitol–SDH axis during water limitation. Tomatoes grown in biochar-amended soil (WB, 20 g kg ⁻¹ ) versus unamended soil (OB) were exposed to 100%, 75% and 45% soil water content (SWC). Under drought, OB plants accumulated more ribitol and sorbitol, with concomitant increases in SDH activity and SDH mRNA, whereas WB plants showed significantly attenuated polyol accumulation and SDH upregulation. At 75% and 45% SWC, SDH transcripts in OB were ~ 2 × and 4 × the 100% baseline, respectively, versus ~ 1 × and ~ 2 × in WB (two-way ANOVA, irrigation × biochar interaction p < 0.01). Novelty: The data indicate that biochar attenuates the polyol-associated stress response (lower osmolyte demand and SDH induction) while maintaining growth, consistent with improved plant water status. These findings suggest that biochar may contribute to reducing osmotic stress responses, complementing its agronomic benefits in arid systems and supporting sustainable tomato production.