To explore effects of configuration of plant community on physical and chemical properties of coastal saline soil, soil samples were collected from fields that had been under plant communities different in configuration for 10 years in polders on east beach of Chongming Island for analysis of physical and chemical properties (soil mechanical composition, bulk density, porosity, field moisture capacity, pH and total salt content). Results show that compared with bare land, shrub-grass land increased in physical clay content by 57.8%, decreased in bulk density by 13.7%, and increased in total porosity and field moisture holding capacity by 18.2% and 17.8% respectively; grass land decreased in bulk density by 27.3%, increased in total porosity and field moisture capacity by 36.8% and 25.2%, respectively, only in the top soil layer (0～10cm), and improved the mechanical composition of the soil in the 0～40cm soil layer, by decreasing its sand content by 65.3% and increasing its physical clay content by 94.6%; And shrub land decreased in bulk density by 16.3% and increased in total porosity and field moisture capacity by 8.8% and 13.0%, respectively, in the 20～40cm soil layer, but did not have much improvement in its soil mechanical composition of the 0～40cm soil layer. The three plant communities showed significant positive effects on pH and total salt content, that is to say, they lowered soil pH to 8.5, making the soils fit for crop growth, and reduced NaCl content down to 2.5 g kg^-1, which falls into the category of slightly salt-affected soil. Correlation analysis of main physical and chemical indexes of the soils revealed that bulk density was in extremely significant negative relationships with total porosity, capillary porosity, and field moisture capacity and in extremely significant positive relationships with soil pH and total salt content. Based on this study, it is held that the configuration of shrub-grass community is more conductive to amelioration of the physical and chemical properties of the saline soil in coastal polders.