Intraspecific variation in salt tolerance and morphology in the coastal grass spartina patens (poaceae)

Abstract

Clones of Spartina patens were collected from 19 locations throughout Gulf coast marshes of Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Following three vegetative generations of de‐acclimation from field conditions, genotypes were subjected to a salinity screening protocol in which salinity was increased in weekly increments of 5‰ (gram salt/kilogram solution). Plants were harvested when there was 50% death of aboveground tissue, which we defined as the lethal salinity level. The genotypes displayed highly significant intraspecific variation in lethal salinity level, which ranged from 63‰ to 93‰. Significant intraspecific variation was also observed in all plant morphological variables, as well as leaf rolling, leaf expansion rates at 2‰ and 20‰ salinity, aboveground, belowground, and total biomass, and belowground‐to‐aboveground biomass ratio. An ANOVA of principal component scores from a PCA of lethal salinity level and covariable‐adjusted total plant dry mass further illustrated intraspecific variation within this species in these two traits expressed as one principal component. Correlation analysis revealed that intraspecific variation in salt tolerance was not strongly associated with intraspecific variation in plant morphological traits, leaf rolling, or leaf expansion rates.