Abstract
The role of ionic excretions and hyper-accumulation of salts through alterations of structural and functional traits in five populations of Suaeda vera Forssk. ex J.F. Gmel., a halophytic salt-indicator species of saline environments, was explored. Differently adapted populations of S. vera exhibited specific structural and functional responses for the survival in hyper-saline conditions. Better growth in population from moderately saline habitat (25–30 dS m−1) was linked to high shoot and root K+ and increased ion selectivity (K+/Na+ and Ca2+/Na+). Increased excretion of Na+ and Cl− with increasing salinity level was a critical mechanism in maintaining ionic balance. Drastic differences were observed for anatomical characteristics in populations inhabiting differentially salt-affected lands. The plants from highly saline sites were characterized by narrow metaxylem vessels, low proportion of cortical parenchyma, and reduced phloem area leading to stunted growth. Contrariwise, root area significantly increased due to high proportion of sclerified xylem tissue, which was associated with easier conduction of solutes and protection of roots from collapsing. Root sclerification particularly at the highest salinity regime was a key factor in the survival of this species in salt-affected compact soils. Leaf anatomical characteristics showed reduction with increasing salinity, but the leaf thickness responded otherwise. This contributed to increased leaf succulence because of high proportion of storage parenchyma in populations colonizing hyper-saline habitats. It was concluded that moderate salinity conditions were more suitable for the growth of S. vera, though some populations of this species were able to tolerate much higher salinity levels.
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The data has been submitted to the digital repository of the Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and can be obtained by request to the corresponding author.
Abbreviations
- BD:
-
Bailahwala Dahar
- Ca:
-
Soil Ca2+
- Cl:
-
Soil Cl−
- Com:
-
Community
- DF:
-
Derawar Fort
- DI:
-
Shannon’s diversity index
- Dsb:
-
Disturbances
- ECa:
-
Excreted Ca2+
- EC:
-
Electrical conductivity of soil extract
- ECl:
-
Excreted Cl−
- EK:
-
Excreted K+
- EMg:
-
Extracted Mg2+
- ENa:
-
Excreted Na+
- ENO:
-
Extracted NO3−
- EPO:
-
Extracted PO43−
- IV:
-
Importance value
- K:
-
Soil K+
- Lar:
-
Leaf area
- LBA:
-
Leaf abaxial epidermal cell area
- LCA:
-
Leaf cortical cell area
- LCT:
-
Leaf cortical region thickness
- LDA:
-
Leaf adaxial epidermal cell area
- LMT:
-
Leaf midrib thickness
- LPA:
-
Leaf phloem area
- LPS:
-
Leaf palisade cell area
- LS:
-
Ladam Sir
- LSP:
-
Leaf spongy cell area
- LXA:
-
Leaf metaxylem area
- MC:
-
Moisture content
- Mg:
-
Soil Mg2+
- MLGP:
-
Moderately livestock grazing pressure
- Na:
-
Soil Na+
- NO:
-
Soil NO3−
- OM:
-
Organic matter
- OP:
-
Osmotic potential
- Phn:
-
Phenology
- pH:
-
Soil pH
- PO:
-
Soil PO43−
- PrC:
-
Proportion of cortical parenchyma
- PrP:
-
Proporion of storage parenchyma
- PS:
-
Pati Sir
- RAr:
-
Root cross-sectional area
- RCa:
-
Root Ca2+
- RCA:
-
Root cortical cell area
- RCl:
-
Root Cl−
- RC:
-
Relative cover
- RCa:Na:
-
Root Ca2+:Na+ ratio
- RCT:
-
Root cortical region thickness
- RD:
-
Relative density
- RDW:
-
Root dry weight
- RF:
-
Relative frequency
- RFW:
-
Root fresh weight
- RK:
-
Root K+
- RK:Na:
-
Root K+:Na+ ratio
- Rlg:
-
Root length
- RMg:
-
Root Mg2+
- RNa:
-
Root Na+
- RPA:
-
Root phloem area
- RPO:
-
Shoot PO43−
- RVT:
-
Root vascular region area
- RWC:
-
Roor water content
- RXA:
-
Root metaxylem area
- SAR:
-
Sodium adsorption ratio
- SA:
-
Stem area
- SBA:
-
Abaxial stomatal area
- SBD:
-
Abaxial stomatal density
- SCa:
-
Shoot Ca2+
- SCA:
-
Stem cortical cell area
- SCa:Na:
-
Shoot Ca2+:Na+ ratio
- SCl:
-
Shoot Cl−
- SCT:
-
Stem cortical region thickness
- SDA:
-
Abaxial stomatal area
- SDb:
-
Slightly disturbed
- SDD:
-
Adaxial stomatal density
- SDW:
-
Shoot dry weight
- SEA:
-
Stem epidermal cell area
- SFW:
-
Shoot fresh weight
- SK:
-
Shoot K+
- SK:Na:
-
Shoot K+:Na+ ratio
- Slg:
-
Shoot length
- SMg:
-
Shoot Mg2+
- SNa:
-
Shoot Na+
- SPA:
-
Stem phloem area
- SPC:
-
Stem pith cell area
- SPO:
-
Shoot PO43−
- SP:
-
Saturation percentage
- SPT:
-
Stem pith thickness
- Suc:
-
Succulence
- SWC:
-
Shoot water content
- SXA:
-
Stem metaxylem area
- TSS:
-
Total soluble salts
- TT:
-
Trawaywala Toba
- UDb:
-
Undisturbed
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Nargis Naz: This manuscript is derived from the Mphil studies of the first author.
Mansoor Hameed, Muhammad Ashraf, Farooq Ahmad, Iftikhar Ahmad: They are members of the research team supervised the research planning and collection of plant and soil samples.
Muhammad Sajid Aqeel Ahmad: As an statistical expert, he conducted data analysis, visualization and interpretation.
Sana Fatima, Syed Mohsan Raza Shah, Faakeha Islam, Farial Ejaz, Mehwish Naseer: Research execution, biochemical analysis and data collection.
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Naz, N., Fatima, S., Hameed, M. et al. Contribution of structural and functional adaptations of hyper-accumulator Suaeda vera Forssk. ex J.F. Gmel. for adaptability across salinity gradients in hot desert. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 64077–64095 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19167-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19167-1