Impact, Biology, and Ecology of Saltcedar (Tamarixspp.) in the Southwestern United States

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.