Abstract
Eight species ofTamarixwere first brought to North America in the 1800s from southern Europe or the eastern Mediterranean region. Many of the species escaped cultivation and by the 1920s invaded about 4,000 ha of riparian habitat in the southwestern United States. By 1987, it was estimated to have increased to at least 600,000 ha. The success of saltcedar in the southwest can be attributed to several factors related to its growth habit, reproduction, water usage, ability to tolerate highly saline conditions, and redistribution of salt from deep in the soil profile to the soil surface. The flowers produce small, numerous, and tufted seeds that can be carried long distances by wind or water. The seeds, however, have a short period of viability, and must come in contact with suitable moisture within a few weeks of dispersal. Unlike obligate phreatophytes, such as willows and cottonwoods, saltcedar is a facultative phreatophyte and is often able to survive under conditions where groundwater is inaccessible. The high evapotranspiration rates of saltcedar can lower the water table and alter the floristic composition in heavily infested areas. Mature plants are tolerant to a variety of stress conditions, including heat, cold, drought, flooding, and high salinity. Saltcedar is not an obligate halophyte but survives in areas where groundwater concentrations of dissolved solids can average 8,000 ppm or higher. In addition, the leaves of saltcedar excrete salts that are deposited on the soil surface under the plant, inhibiting germination and growth of competing species.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Plant Science,Agronomy and Crop Science
Reference79 articles.
1. Phase-shift and memorization of the circadian rhythm of transpiration ofTamarix aphylla
2. Age, spacing and growth rate of Tamarix as an indication of lake boundary fluctuations at Sebkhet Kelbia, Tunisia;Goldsmith;J. Arid Environ.,1982
3. Saltcedar influence on sedimentation in the Brazos River;Blackburn;J. Soil Water Conserv.,1982
4. Carothers S. W. , Aitchison S. E. , Karpiscak M. M. , Ruffner G. A. , and Sharber J. J. 1976. An ecological survey of the riparian zone of the Colorado River between Lee's Ferry and Grand Wash Cliffs, Arizona. U.S. National Park Service, Colorado River Res. Serv. Tech. Rep. 10. 251 p.
Cited by
302 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献