Gradients of soil salinity and moisture, and plant distribution, in a Mediterranean semiarid saline watershed: a model of soil–plant relationships for contributing to the management

This study reports the soil–plant relationships within a protected landscape in semiarid SE Spain that includes salt marshes and temporary streams and that is affected by agricultural water leaching. The main objective was to establish a conceptual model in order to use vegetation as bioindicator of...

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Veröffentlicht in:Catena (Giessen) 2014-04, Vol.115, p.150-158
Hauptverfasser: González-Alcaraz, M.N., Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J., Álvarez, Y., Álvarez-Rogel, J.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:This study reports the soil–plant relationships within a protected landscape in semiarid SE Spain that includes salt marshes and temporary streams and that is affected by agricultural water leaching. The main objective was to establish a conceptual model in order to use vegetation as bioindicator of soil conditions. With this model, environmental changes – based on the observation of vegetation – could be detectable, allowing the prevention of environmental impacts and the improvement of the environmental management of the studied area. Eight sampling stations with a total of 39 plots were established for the sampling of vegetation (floristic composition and species abundance) and soil (moisture, pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity and soluble ions). Multivariate analysis showed that vegetation was closely related to soil moisture and salinity. The soils colonised by steppe grasses (dominated by Lygeum spartum) and halophilus and halonitrophilus shrubs (dominated by Suaeda vera and Limonium spp.) were the driest (moisture
ISSN:0341-8162
1872-6887
DOI:10.1016/j.catena.2013.11.011