Ecology Of Halophytes

Ecology of Halophytes documents the proceedings of a symposium on the ecology of halophytes sponsored by the Physiological Ecology section of the Ecological Society of America, and held as a portion of the American Institute of Biological Sciences meetings in August 1972. The book considers the fundamentals of distribution, anatomy, and physiology of halophytes. It provides an overview of the role of the halophyte in ecosystems in various parts of the world. A section on habitat associations of halophytes considers the relation of the plants to other fauna and flora in natural systems. A final section deals with recent applied research related to halophytes and quantification of the impact of man on the ecology of halophytes. This text will be useful for various disciplines working in saline wetlands ecosystems. It is intended to serve land use planners, federal and state natural resources and transportation interests, and real estate developers in providing a comprehensive summary of the ""state of the art"" in understanding halophytic ecosystems. With a better fundamental knowledge of the system, the above mentioned professionals should be better able to plan activities and uses compatible with the natural halophytic ecosystem and avoid some of the past errors man has made.

This book contains current knowledge and the most recent developments in the field of halophyte biology, ecology, and potential uses. Halophytes are characterised as plants that can survive and complete their life cycle in highly saline environments. This book explores the adaptive mechanisms and special features of halophytes that allow them to grow in environments that are unsuitable for conventional crops and considers their role as a source of food, fuel, fodder, fibre, essential oils, and medicines. Halophytes and Climate Change includes coverage of: - Special morphological, anatomical, and physiological features of halophytes - Ion accumulation patterns and homeostasis in halophytes - Potential use of halophytes in the remediation of saline soil - Growth and physiological response and tolerance to toxicity and drought - Mangrove ecology, physiology, and adaptation Written by a team of international authors and presented in full colour, this book is an essential resource for researchers in the fields of plant physiology, ecology, soil science, environmental science, botany, and agriculture.

The ecology of halophytes has a wide scope of interest, appealing to people of many disciplines. It covers widely different fields such as climatology, soil science, phytogeography, adaptive biology and agriculture. Ecologists study these specialized plants in relation to estuarine ecosystems, biology of dominant genera, germination ecology, water relations, salt secretion, and senescence. The present volume is divided into three parts and attempts to elucidate new aspects of the problems faced by this special group of plants. It tries to give the reader an overall view of saline environments and the ecology of plants found therein. In the first chapter of part one Zahran presents the halophytic vegetation of Egypt, which includes the inland and the littoral (Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea) salt marshes. The plants he describes have been classified as succulents, excretives and cumulatives, according to their adaptability to saline soils and according to their different life-forms. The second chapter throws light on the estuarine ecosystem ofIndia. The estuaries are described by Joshi, and Bhosale as being rich in diversity of mangrove species. Making varied use of estuarine ecosystems is not only possible, but also essential because they are the meeting point between terrestrial and marine life.

Biology of Halophytes is a monograph on the biological aspects of halophytes and their behavior under saline conditions. It explores the physioecological characteristics of halophytes, such as reproduction, growth, metabolism, water relations, mineral nutrition, salt transport, salt secretion, and salt resistance. It also provides ecological information on higher marine plants, particularly submerged angiosperms, mangroves, and high coast plants. Organized into 16 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of sources of salinity and the development and nature of salines and salt-affected soils. It proceeds with a discussion of the classification of halophytes, their mutual relationships, distribution, and sociology. It also summarizes autecological information on some terrestrial halophytes and introduces the reader to the formative effects of salinity, interrelationships between plants and spatial distribution within the community, ion transport and mineral nutrition, and regulation of salt content of shoots, before concluding with a short review on ecotypic differentiation in halophytes. This book will be a valuable resource for advanced students, as well as teachers of plant and environmental sciences.

This book focuses on morphological and anatomical strategies developed by halophytes during evolution that allow them to survive in high-salt environments. These adaptive strategies refer to well integrated structural features, such as succulence, salt secretion (salt glands and vesicular hairs), aerenchyma, Kranz anatomy, bulliform cells, successive cambia, tracheoidioblasts and endodermis with pronounced Casparian strips. The authors present cross sections of the roots, stems and leaves of 62 halophyte species belonging to 18 families from different habitats and climates (temperate, Mediterranean). They also discuss the ecological, physiological and evolutionary aspects of the various adaptive structures in an integrative way. Beginning with the structural level, this book offers novel insights into the ecology of halophytes and opens new perspectives for the identification of salt-tolerant crop plants or halophytes that can be used for ecological purposes, such as bio-remediation and revegetation.

Part I: Halophytes: an overview; Part II: Halophytes of the United States: distribution, ecology, anatomy, and physiology; Part III: Habitat associations of halophytes; Part IV: Applied research related to halophytes.

Salinity is one of the acute problems causing enormous yield loss in many regions of the world. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in arid and semiarid regions. Halophytes can remove salt from various types of problematic soils due to their unique morphological, physiological and anatomical adaptations to these environments. Halophytes are also used for the treatment of certain diseases but scientific documentation in terms of current phytotherapic applications is deficient in this unique group of plants. Different ethnic groups around the world use medicinal halophytes according to their own beliefs and ancestor’s experiences. However, their knowledge about the use of salt tolerant medicinal plants is usually confined to their own community. There is thus a knowledge gap on halophytes which should be bridged and preserved. This book provides a comprehensive account on the distribution of halophytes, their ethnobotanical and medicinal aspects, economic importance, and chemical constituents along with scientific description. The book therefore serves as a valuable resource for professionals and researchers working in the fields of plant stress biology and ethnobotanical aspects.

Highlights the potential of biosaline agriculture in a changing environment Covers all important topics related to halophyte biology including biochemistry, genetics and genomics Provides information on potential use of halophytes Each topic is explained in detail and examined from various angles More than 100 contributions by international experts