Soil-plant interactions in salt marshes
Impacts of Soil salinity
Impacts of Salinity
Coastal Salt marshes
Salinity can negatively affect plant growth by causing water deficits and hindering seed germination, root length, plant height, and photosynthesis. This can lead to reduced crop yields and decreased plant biodiversity.
Definition and background information.
+Info study site
+Info methods
Whant to know more about The Results?
More salinity, less Plant diversity
Correlation: conductivity and plant diversity
Soil Salinity Estimations
Vegetation & Soil Patterns
Using EM38 for salinity estimations
Additional findings
Total vegetation cover
The Way forward
Discussion and recommendations
Picture gallery
Scientific report
EM38 - a good tool to estimate soil salinity
The EM38 values for the first 35 cm can be fully described by the ECsp values from 0 to 40 cm (top graph). However, the EM38 values obtained at depths of 75 cm and 150 cm can only be mostly described by the corresponding ECsp values as the influence of the soil moisture increases with depth. Overall, the EM38 is a reasonable tool for estimating soil salinity.
Species richness depending on the conductivity
Correlation between Salinity and Vegetation
The results indicate that as soil conductivity increases, the number of species and the diversity (Shanon-Index) decreases. The map on the right illustrates the potential distribution of the main plant species for the entire project area based on soil conductivity levels.
Recommendation for future studies
The results of this study can be used to inform further research into soil properties and distribution of plant patches in salt marshes. Due to the high fluctuation of salinity levels and vegetation patterns from year to year, future studies should focus on long-term monitoring to fully represent the soil-plant interactions of the study plot. Furthermore, it is recommended to investigate additional parameters that interact directly with plants and soil, such as the osmotic potential and the metabolic adaptations of plants to salt movements over time.
Research groupe
Students JRL: Charlotte Kaiser, Lucie Lavergne, Ewen Le Seyec, Cléo Salvia Supervisors: Armand Crabit, François Collin
Vegetation and Soil parameters
The upper graph shows the average soil conductivity for each soil layer of all six patches. Patch 6 has significantly higher conductivity levels of over 70 mS/cm compared to the other patches. There are noticeable differences in soil conductivity among the six patches, indicating heterogeneity. The lower distribution graph shows a correlation between the identified plant species and soil conductivity levels. Phragmites is the most sensitive to high conductivity levels, while Salicornia is the most tolerant.
Coastal Salt marshes
... are intertidal areas between the ocean and arable lands that serve as crucial buffer zones and harbour unique biodiversity. The erosion of the salt marsh front slows down waves by dissipating intense wave energy produced during storms. Climate change leads to rising sea levels and aridity, contributing to increased saline soils. Salinisation issues affect over 2 million hectares annually worldwide.
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Methodology & Tools
The EM38 (top picture) was used to measure the apparent electrical conductivity in the field. Among other tools, augers were used for soil coring and a drone to obtain high-resolution images.Laboratory analyses were carried out using a pH meter, a conductivity meter, and a balance for moisture estimation.
The study site
The studied salt marsh is located in the Aude lowlands South of France. It is bounded to the east and south by the Bages-Sigean Lagoon and to the west by the Robine canal.The study site, domaine du Grand Castelou, is an old wine estate abandoned between 30 and 50 years ago which has been restored as a salt marsh.
Picture gallery
Impacts of soil salinity
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Transcript
Soil-plant interactions in salt marshes
Impacts of Soil salinity
Impacts of Salinity
Coastal Salt marshes
Salinity can negatively affect plant growth by causing water deficits and hindering seed germination, root length, plant height, and photosynthesis. This can lead to reduced crop yields and decreased plant biodiversity.
Definition and background information.
+Info study site
+Info methods
Whant to know more about The Results?
More salinity, less Plant diversity
Correlation: conductivity and plant diversity
Soil Salinity Estimations
Vegetation & Soil Patterns
Using EM38 for salinity estimations
Additional findings
Total vegetation cover
The Way forward
Discussion and recommendations
Picture gallery
Scientific report
EM38 - a good tool to estimate soil salinity
The EM38 values for the first 35 cm can be fully described by the ECsp values from 0 to 40 cm (top graph). However, the EM38 values obtained at depths of 75 cm and 150 cm can only be mostly described by the corresponding ECsp values as the influence of the soil moisture increases with depth. Overall, the EM38 is a reasonable tool for estimating soil salinity.
Species richness depending on the conductivity
Correlation between Salinity and Vegetation
The results indicate that as soil conductivity increases, the number of species and the diversity (Shanon-Index) decreases. The map on the right illustrates the potential distribution of the main plant species for the entire project area based on soil conductivity levels.
Recommendation for future studies
The results of this study can be used to inform further research into soil properties and distribution of plant patches in salt marshes. Due to the high fluctuation of salinity levels and vegetation patterns from year to year, future studies should focus on long-term monitoring to fully represent the soil-plant interactions of the study plot. Furthermore, it is recommended to investigate additional parameters that interact directly with plants and soil, such as the osmotic potential and the metabolic adaptations of plants to salt movements over time.
Research groupe
Students JRL: Charlotte Kaiser, Lucie Lavergne, Ewen Le Seyec, Cléo Salvia Supervisors: Armand Crabit, François Collin
Vegetation and Soil parameters
The upper graph shows the average soil conductivity for each soil layer of all six patches. Patch 6 has significantly higher conductivity levels of over 70 mS/cm compared to the other patches. There are noticeable differences in soil conductivity among the six patches, indicating heterogeneity. The lower distribution graph shows a correlation between the identified plant species and soil conductivity levels. Phragmites is the most sensitive to high conductivity levels, while Salicornia is the most tolerant.
Coastal Salt marshes
... are intertidal areas between the ocean and arable lands that serve as crucial buffer zones and harbour unique biodiversity. The erosion of the salt marsh front slows down waves by dissipating intense wave energy produced during storms. Climate change leads to rising sea levels and aridity, contributing to increased saline soils. Salinisation issues affect over 2 million hectares annually worldwide.
Inserta un Título genial
Contextualiza tu tema con un subtítulo
El contenido visual tiene un poder informativo e ilustrativo increible. ¿Sabías que el 90% de la información visual se asimila mejor? Las imágenes ayudan a romper la monotonía, también ilustran de forma visual lo que quieres contar y pueden ser un apoyo para añadir información adicional.
Methodology & Tools
The EM38 (top picture) was used to measure the apparent electrical conductivity in the field. Among other tools, augers were used for soil coring and a drone to obtain high-resolution images.Laboratory analyses were carried out using a pH meter, a conductivity meter, and a balance for moisture estimation.
The study site
The studied salt marsh is located in the Aude lowlands South of France. It is bounded to the east and south by the Bages-Sigean Lagoon and to the west by the Robine canal.The study site, domaine du Grand Castelou, is an old wine estate abandoned between 30 and 50 years ago which has been restored as a salt marsh.
Picture gallery