Abstract
This paper reports on monitored Suaeda salsa spectral response to salt conditions in coastal wetlands, using spectral measurements and remotely sensed algorithms. Suaeda salsa seedlings were collected from the Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve (DENNR) in Jiangsu Province, China. We treated 21 Suaeda salsa seedlings planted in pots with 7 different salt concentrations (n = 3 for each concentration) to assess their response to varying salt conditions. Various plant growth indicators, including chlorophyll content, fresh weight, dry weight, and canopy hyperspectral reflectance, were measured. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc multiple comparisons of least-significant difference (LSD) were used to explore the physiological indicators of sensitivity to salt treatment. Red edge parameters and spectral reflectance indices were used to analyze spectral response to salt conditions and to investigate the potential for remotely sensing physiological parameters which are sensitive to salt conditions. The results indicated that among these physiological indicators, the total chlorophyll content differed significantly with salt conditions, being highest at 50 mmol/L, whereas the differences observed for the morphological parameters were highest at 200 mmol/L. In addition, new vegetation indices were significantly more responsive to salt concentrations than were traditional red edge parameters. The two vegetation indices, D854/D792 and (D792 − D854)/(D792 + D854), were the most sensitive to the total chlorophyll content, and these also strongly correlated with salt concentrations. An analysis of the responses of plant growth indicators to salt treatment showed that soil having a salt concentration of 50~200 mmol/L is most suitable for the growth of Suaeda salsa. These results suggest the potential for using remote sensing to effectively interpret the causes of salt-induced spectral changes in Suaeda salsa. This methodology also provides a new reference for the inversion model of estimating the total chlorophyll content of Suaeda salsa under different salt concentrations in similar coastal wetlands, whether in China or elsewhere.
Highlights
Coastal wetlands, which are among the most important ecosystems in the world, are important for the economic and social development of coastal areas, playing a significant role in the development of offshore fisheries and the protection of endangered species [1]
Applying seven different salt concentrations, we analyzed the response of plant growth indicators and canopy reflectance to different salt treatments in coastal wetlands
Taking the Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve (DENNR) in China as a case study, we collected Suaeda salsa seedlings and divided them into seven groups to conduct potted experiments, using analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis to study the responses of plant growth indicators such as height, fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), and chlorophyll content
Summary
Coastal wetlands, which are among the most important ecosystems in the world, are important for the economic and social development of coastal areas, playing a significant role in the development of offshore fisheries and the protection of endangered species [1]. Because soil salinization has played a notable role in degrading coastal wetlands [4], the planting of halophyte vegetation [2] has been considered as a way of achieving ecological restoration of coastal wetlands. As an important salt-tolerant plant in coastal wetlands, Suaeda salsa has great potential for the ecological restoration of wetlands [5]. Can it absorb large amounts of soil salt for storage in its thick leaves, but it can accumulate and absorb heavy metals from the soil, improving and restoring damaged coastal wetland ecosystems [6,7,8]. It can adapt to different water and salt environments in the intertidal and upper tidal zones by adjusting its morphological characteristics and biomass allocation, maintaining population stability and improving salinized soil [9]
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