Abstract
Soil salinization is a serious issue in the Qaidam Basin and significantly limits economic development. To explore the salt tolerance of two shrubs in this area, we determined several parameters, including the Soil and Plant Analyzer Development (SPAD), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), intercellular carbon dioxide (Ci, μmol mol−1), stomatal conductance (Gs, umol m−2s−1), and water use efficiency (WUE) under different salt concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mmol·L−1). In addition, the shrubs of Elaeagnus angustifolia and Lycium barbarum of salt tolerance were evaluated. The photosynthetic parameters of E. angustifolia were more sensitive to salinity than those of L. barbarum, and SPAD, Pn, Tr, and WUE of E. angustifolia decreased significantly with increasing salt concentrations (p < 0.05), while in L. barbarum, SPAD, Pn, and Tr decreased significantly with increasing salt concentrations (p < 0.05), but the WUE of L. barbarum showed no significantly variation under the salt concentration gradient. The results of correlation matrix of photosynthetic index also indicated that the minimum salt tolerance of E. angustifolia and L. barbarum were 108.4 and 246.3 mmol·L−1, respectively. Our results provide a scientific basis for the selection of salt-tolerant plant species in of northwest China.
Highlights
Soil salinization has become an issue of global concern [1] and significantly threatens food and resource security [2,3,4]
The photosynthetic parameters of the shrub species E. angustifolia were more sensitive to salinity than those of L. barbarum
The decrease in photosynthetic parameters of both shrub species was due to the combination of stomatal and non-stomatal constraints
Summary
Soil salinization has become an issue of global concern [1] and significantly threatens food and resource security [2,3,4]. Salt-tolerant plants can improve saline-alkaline soil structure, increase soil nutrients, and improve the ecological environment [12]; in addition, such an approach can promote economic development. The most direct effect of salinity on plants is growth inhibition via impacting water absorption, thereby leading to reduced plant height, lower DBH, fresh and dry weight, and inhibited plant organ differentiation [13,14,15,16]. The increase in pH caused by high saline levels negatively impacts plant growth via changes in metabolism, nutrient absorption, and ion balance [17]. Previous studies on the impacts of soil salinity have mostly focused on plant ion metabolism, hormone responses, enzyme activity, water physiology, and growth characteristics [18,19,20,21], while only a few Sustainability 2019, 11, 828; doi:10.3390/su11030828 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability. Hreocwenevt eyre,ainrsr,eycieenldt syehaarvs,eybieeledns dheacvleinbienegnddueecltioniinngcrdeuaesitnoginscarlet asstirnegsss.aIlnt stthreisssc.oInnttehxits, wcoentdeextte,rwmeindeedtetrhmeinpehdottohseypnhthoetotiscynptahreatmiceptearrsamofeEte.rasnogfuEs.tiafnolgiausatnifodliLa.abnadrbLa.rbuamrbtaoru: m(i)toe:xip)leoxrpeltohree athdeapadtaabpiltiatbyilaintydapnhdypsihoylosgioicloagl imcaelcmhaencihsamniosfmsaoltf tsoalletrtaonlecreaunncedeurnNdearCNl saaCltl sstarletssst;r(eisi)s;toii)evtoaleuvaatleutahtee mthaexmimauximmsuamlt tsoalletrtaonlecreatnhcreesthhoreldshoofltdheosfethspeseeciseps eucniedserunNdaeCrlNsaalCt sltsraelsts.stTrheseso. vTehrealolvaeimralol fatihme ostfutdhye isstutodyprios vtoidperaovscidieenatifiscciebnatsiifsicfobrassipsefcoier sspseelceicetsiosneleincteioconloingieccaollcoognicsatrluccotniosntrupcrtoigornapmrso.grams
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