Ecological amplitude is the degree of 'adaptation' of a living organism to changes in its environment. So you can measure the salinity of the substrate in areas where mangroves are present or absent in a non-disturbed system and that will tell you how plants respond to the gradient :)
You can measure the salinity levels (EC) according to the spatial distribution of mangrove species; in addition, you can establish several physiological and anatomical parameters to analyse in order to get adaptive and ecological profiles of different species. For instance, anatomical features such as succulence and salt secretion may provide information about water and saline regime in investigated species.