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Differences in responses of moderately salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive tree species to heterogeneous salinity

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Growth responses of the moderately salt-tolerant velvet ash (Fraxinus velutina) and salt-sensitive poplar (Populus × euramericana) were investigated under heterogeneous root zone salinity. The salinity treatments imposed on the two root zones (lower-higher) were 137-137 (uniform), 103-171, 68-205, 34-239, and 0-273 mM NaCl for velvet ash, and 51-51 (uniform), 34-68, 17-85, and 0-103 mM NaCl for poplar. The leaf gas exchange of the plants was measured one month after these treatments were implemented, and the plants were sampled 75 d after treatment to measure other physiological parameters. Net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, total biomass, and fine root compensatory growth increased as the difference in salinity between the two root zones (i.e., salinity heterogeneity) increased in velvet ash. These parameters showed no significant difference among the treatments in poplar. The leaf Na+ content was lower under heterogeneous salinity than under uniform salinity in both tested species. The leaf proline content in velvet ash decreased under heterogeneous salinity compared to that under uniform salinity, whereas that of poplar increased. The soluble sugar content of velvet ash leaves increased under heterogeneous salinity, whereas no changes were observed in poplar. The increased fine root biomass in the lower salinity zone promoted velvet ash growth by decreasing the leaf Na+ and Cl- content under heterogeneous salinity. The poplar’s undifferentiated root distribution and gas exchange in response to the heterogeneous salinity were attributed to its salt sensitivity.

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Abbreviations

CC:

fine root compensation coefficient

E:

transpiration rate

PN :

net photosynthetic rate

PVC:

polyvinyl chloride

SS:

soluble sugar

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050023, P.R. China

    X. H. Feng, K. Guo, X. G. Li & X. J. Liu

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P.R. China

    X. H. Feng & X. G. Li

  3. Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, 6800001, Japan

    P. An

Authors
  1. X. H. Feng
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  2. P. An
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  3. K. Guo
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  4. X. G. Li
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  5. X. J. Liu
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Correspondence to X. H. Feng.

Additional information

Acknowledgments: This study was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (2013BAC02B01), the National Key Research and Development Programme of China (2016YFC0501308, 2016YFC0501303), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2017M620886). This study was also funded by ALRC, Tottori University, Japan (28GR002).

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Feng, X.H., An, P., Guo, K. et al. Differences in responses of moderately salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive tree species to heterogeneous salinity. Biol Plant 62, 589–594 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-018-0768-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-018-0768-5

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