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Impact patterns of soil salinity variations on the survival rate, growth performances, and physiology of Pterocarpus officinalis seedlings

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Abstract

Key message

Pterocarpus officinalis is able to (1) improve its acclimation capacity if soil salinity increases slowly and (2) benefit from a freshwater episode.

Abstract

One likely effect of global change is an increase of the amplitude of salt variations in the soil of brackish coastal wetland forests. In the Antilles, such forests are dominated by the species Pterocarpus officinalis. The study aimed to determine the effect of 3 salinity levels (freshwater, moderate, and hypersalinity—i.e., 0, 10, and 30 ‰, respectively) and 3 patterns of salinity variation (fast or slow salinity increase, fluctuating salinity) on the growth and ecophysiology of P. officinalis seedlings. P. officinalis proved tolerant to 10 ‰ salinity, even if at this salt concentration the water constraint altered the plant’s water status and reduced stomatal conductance. No impact of the pattern of salinity variation was observed at 10 ‰. Seedlings were strongly affected by hypersalinity, but were able to acclimatize efficiently and to improve their performances (higher survival, total biomass, and photosynthesis) when salinity increased slowly. Young P. officinalis were also able to take advantage of a freshwater episode on the longer term, certainly through leaf desalination associated with enhanced photosynthesis and water use efficiency. Higher soil salinity and more intense dry seasons in the context of climate change could affect the stand-level regeneration potential of P. officinalis seedlings.

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Author contribution statement

F Bompy This work corresponds to the experiments of his thesis. He obtained and analyzed the data, and wrote a significant part of the paper. D. Imbert He obtained and managed the financial support of this research. M. Dulormne She initiated this subject of research on the different patterns of salt variations, managed the experiment, data treatments, and wrote the main part of the paper.

Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the Total Foundation. We wish to thank Vanessa Virapin and Gauthier Lequeue for their technical assistance in carrying out measurements and Lucienne Desfontaine for the cation analyses at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique of Guadeloupe (UR ASTRO). We are also grateful to Anya Cockle for improving the English.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR ECOFOG-DYNECAR, UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (F.W.I.), France

    Félix Bompy, Daniel Imbert & Maguy Dulormne

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  1. Félix Bompy
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  2. Daniel Imbert
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  3. Maguy Dulormne
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Correspondence to Maguy Dulormne.

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Communicated by J. Major.

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Bompy, F., Imbert, D. & Dulormne, M. Impact patterns of soil salinity variations on the survival rate, growth performances, and physiology of Pterocarpus officinalis seedlings. Trees 29, 119–128 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-1096-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-1096-9

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