Abstract
Plants growing in desert regions have to face a number of environmental adversaries such as high temperature, soil salinity and water stress due to low precipitation. Halophytes are among the successful plants that grow in desert saline regions. Halophytes use many different strategies to survive under these conditions. Some halophytes seeds can germinate in the presence of high salinity. Seeds of other halophytes are kept dormant due to the high salinity, but germinate when the rains come and reduce the salinity on the seeds. Persistent seed banks can be a source for new halophyte seedlings which permits seeds to germinate over different time periods when conditions are more favorable. Some root systems of halophytes can exclude salts. Other halophytes accumulate NaCl or synthesis osmotically compatible solutions such as proline, glycine betaine in their shoots to increase their ability to absorb water. Secreting salt from salt glands can reduce the salt level in certain halophytes. In other cases, the salt is compartmentalized in certain tissues of halophytes, which act as salt storage away from growing cells. Generally ion pumps prevent the salt from concentrated in cells that photosynthesize. Often halophytes develop succulence, which dilute the level of salt in the plant and stores water for use during dry periods.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Al-Ahmadi MJ, Kafi M (2006) Salinity effects on germination properties of Kochia scoplaria. Asian J Plant Sci 5: 71–75
Al-Ahmadi MJ, Kafi M (2007) Salinity effects and cardinal temperatures on germination properties of Kochi scoparia L. J Arid Environ 68: 308–314
Askari H, Edqvist J, Hajheidari M, Kafi M, Salekdeh GH (2006) Effects of salinity levels on proteome of Suaeda aegyptiaca leaves. Proteomics 6: 2542–2554
Ashraf M, Hameed M, Arshad M, Ashraf Y, Akhtar K (2006) Salt tolerance of some potential forage grasses from Cholistan desert of Pakistan. In: Khan MA Weber DJ (eds) Ecophysiology of high salinity tolerant plants. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 31–54.
Balasuban R, Reeck T, Debez A, Stelzer R, Huchzermeyer B, Papenbrock J (2006) Aster tripolium L. and Sesuvium protu-lacastrum L.: two halophytes, two strategies to survive in saline habitats. Plant Physiol Biochem (Paris) 44: 395–408.
Balasubramanian F, Papenbrock J, Schmidt A (2004) Connecting sulfur metabolism and salt tolerance mechanism in the halophytes Aster tripolium and Sesuvium portulacastrum. Tropical Ecol 45: 173–182.
Barhoumi Z, Djebali W, Smaoui A, Chaibi W, Abdelly C (2006) Contribution of NaCl excretion to salt resistance of Aeluropus littorallis (Willd) Parl. J Plant Physiol 164: 842–850.
Benlloch-Gonzalez M, Fournier JM, Ramos J, Benlloch M (2005) Strategies underying salt tolerance in halophytes are present in Cynara cardunculus. Plant Sci (Oxford) 168: 653–659.
Breckle SW (1983) Temperate deserts and semi-deserts of Afghanistan and Iran. In: Goodall EW, West N (eds) Ecosystems of the World. pp 271–319. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Chen S, Guo SL, Wang ZL, Zhao JQ, Zhao YX, Zhang H (2007) Experessed sequence tags from the halophyte Limonium sinense. DNA Sequence 18: 61–67.
Drenovsky RE, Richards JH (2003) High nitrogen availability does not improve salinity tolerance in Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Western N Am Naturalist 63: 472–478.
Duan DY, Liu XJ, Khan MA, Gul B (2004) Effects of salt and water stress on the germination of Chenopodium glaucum L. seed. Pak J Bot 36: 793–800.
Ewing K, Earle JC, Piccinin B, Kershaw KA (1989) Vegetation patterns in James Bay costal marshes II Physiological adaptation to salt-induced water stress in three halophytic graminoids. Can J Bot 67: 521–528.
Flowers TJ, Flowers SA (2005) Why does salinity pose such a diffi cult problem for plant breeders. Agr Water Manage 78: 15–24.
Gorham J, Hughes I, Wyn-Jones RG (1981) Low molecular weight carbohydrates in some salt stressed plants. Physiol Plant 31: 149–190.
Gul B, Weber DJ (1998) Role of dormancy relieving compounds and salinity on the seed germination of Allenrolfea occidentalis. Ann Bot 82: 555–562.
Gul B, Khan MA, Weber DJ (2000) Alleviation salinity and darkness enforced dormancy in Allenrolfea occidentalis seeds under various thermoperiods. Aust J Bot 48: 745–752.
Gulzar S, Khan MA, Liu X (2007) Seed germination strategies of Desmostachya bipinnata: a fodder crop for saline soils. Range Ecol Manage 60: 401–407.
Hess WM, Weber DJ (1995) Morphology of epicuticular wax and comparison of lipids of Allenrolfea occidentalis. In: Khan MA, Ungar IA (eds) Biology of Salt Tolerant Plants. Dec. 12–16, 1994. pp. 107–117. BookCrafters, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
Hess WM, Hansen DJ, Weber DJ (1975) Light and electron microscopy localization of chloride ions in cells of Salicornia pacifica var. utahensis. Can J Bot 53: 1176–1187.
Huchzermeyer B, Hausmann N, Paquet-Durant F, Koyro HW (2004) Biochemical and physiological mechanisms leading to salt tolerance. Tropical Ecol 45: 141–150.
Khan MA, Gul B, Weber DJ (2000) Germination responses of Salicornia rubra to temperature and salinity. J Arid Environ 45: 207–214.
Khan MA, Gul B, Weber DJ (2004) Temperature and high salinity effects in germinating dimorphic seeds of Atriplex rosea. Western N Am Naturalist 64: 193–201.
Jithesh MN, Prashanth SR, Sivaprakash KR, Parida AK (2006) Antioxidative response mechanisms in halophytes: their role in stress defence. J Genet 85: 237–254.
Kant S, Kant P, Raveh E, Barak S (2006) Evidence that differential gene expression between the halophyte, Thellungiella halophila and Arabidopsis thaliana is responsible for higher levels of the compatible osmolyte proline and tight control of Na+ uptake in T. halophila. Plant Cell Environ 29: 1200–1234.
Khan MA, Weber DJ (2006) Ecophysiology of High Saline Tolerant Plants. Tasks for Vegetation Science, vol 40. 399 pp. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Khan MA, Bilquees Gul and Darrell J Weber (2004) Temperature and high salinity effects in germinating dimorphic seeds of Atriplex rosea. Western N Am Naturalist 64:193–201
Li W, Liu X, Khan MA, Yamaguchi S (2005) The effect of plant growth regulators, nitric oxide, nitrate, nitrite and light on the germination of dimorphic seeds of Suaeda salsa under saline conditions. J Plant Res 118: 207–214.
Mansour MM, Salama K (2004) Cellular basis of salinity tolerance in plants. Environ Exp Bot 52: 113–122.
Perera LK, Mansfi eld TA, Malloch JC (1994) Stomatal responses to sodium ions in Aster tripolium: a new hypothesis to explain regulation in above ground tissues. Plant Cell Environ 17: 335–340.
Ramadan BT (1998) Ecophysiology of salt excretion in the xero-halophyte, Reaumuria hirtella. New Phytol 139: 273–281.
Ramani B, Zorn H, Papenbrock J (2004) Quantifi cation and fatty acid profi les of sulfolipids in two halophytes and a glyco-phyte grown under different salt concentrations. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung 59: 835–842.
Redondo-Gomez S, Mateos-Naranjo E, Davy AJ, Fernandes-Munozn F, Castellance EM, Luque T, Figueroa ME (2007) Growth and photosynthetic responses to salinity of the saltmarsh shrub Atriplex portulacoides. Ann Bot 100: 555–563.
Shekhawat VPS, Kumar A, Neumann KH (2006) Effect of sodium chloride salinity on growth and ion accumulation in some halophytes. Comm Soil Sci Plant Anal 37: 1933–1946.
Song J, Feng G, Tian C, Zhang F (2005) Strategies for adaptation of Suaeda physophora, Haloxylon ammodendron and Haloxylon persicum to a saline environment during seed germination. Ann Bot (London) 96: 399–405.
Song J, Ding XD, Feng G, Zhang F (2006) Nutritional and osmotic roles of nitrate in a euhalophyte and xerophyte in saline conditions. New Phytol 171: 357–366.
Tester M, Davenport R (2003) Na+ tolerance and Na+ transport in higher plants. Ann Bot 91: 503–527.
Tipirdamaz R, Gagneul D, Duhaze C, Ainouche A, Monnier C, Ozkum D, Larher F (2006) Clustering of halophytes from an inland salt marsh in Turkey according to their ability to accumulate sodium and nitrogenous osmolytes. Environ Exp Bot 57: 139–153.
Ungar IA (1995) Seed bank ecology of halophytes. In: M. A. Khan MA, Ungar IA (eds). Biology of Salt Tolerant Plants. Dec. 12–16,1994. Pp. 65–82. BookCrafters, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
Wang SM, Wan CG, Wang YR, Chen H, Zhou ZY, Fu H, Sosebee RE (2004) The characteristics of Na+, K+, and free proline distribution in several drought-resistant plants of the Alxa Desert, China. J Arid Environ 56: 525–539.
Warwick NWM, Halloran GM (1992) Accumulations and excretion of sodium, potassium and chloride from leaves of two accessions of Diplachne fusca (L) Beauv. New Phytol 121: 53–61.
Weber DJ (1995) Mechanisms and reactions of halophytes to water and salt stress. In: Khan MA, Ungar IA (eds) Biology of Salt Tolerant Plants. pp. 170–180. BookCrafter, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
Weber DJ, Rasmussen HP, Hess WM (1977) Electron micro-probe analysis of salt distribution in the halophyte Salicornia pacifica var utahensis. Can J Bot 55: 1516–1523.
Weber DJ, Hess WM, Kim CK (1980) Distribution of ATPase in cells of Salicornia pacifica var. utahensis as determined by lead phosphate precipitation and x-ray microanalysis. New Phytol 84: 285–291.
Weber DJ, Ansari R, Gul B, Khan MA (2007) Potential of halophytes as source of edible oil. J Arid Environ 68: 315–321.
Xi J, Zhang F, Chen Y, Mao D, Yin C, Tian C (2004) A preliminary study on salt contents of soil in root-canopy area of halophytes. Yingyong Shengtai Xuebao 15: 53–58.
Yi L, Ma J, Li Y (2007) The comparisons of root systems and root hair morphological characteristics among three desert halophytes. Bull Bot Res 27: 204–211.
Zhoa KF, Fan H, Zhou S, Song JN (2003) Study on the salt and drought tolerance of Suaeda salsa and Kalanchoe daigre-monticana under iso-osmotic salt and water stress. Plant Sci 165: 837–844.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Weber, D.J. (2009). Adaptive Mechanisms of Halophytes in Desert Regions. In: Ashraf, M., Ozturk, M., Athar, H. (eds) Salinity and Water Stress. Tasks for Vegetation Sciences, vol 44. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9065-3_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9065-3_18
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9064-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9065-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)