Biochar amendment to agricultural soils has been promoted for use in agricultural systems, both to mitigate global warming by increasing long-term soil carbon (C) sequestration and to enhance soil fertility and crop productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a single biochar application from peanut shell (Arachis hypogea L.) and mixed pine (Pinus spp.) wood to a Typic Hapludults in Blacksburg (VA, USA) and from peanut shell and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) wood to a tropical, sandy, salt-affected soil in Ndoff (Fatick, Senegal) at 0, 10, and 20 Mg ha⁻¹ on soil chemical properties, inorganic nitrogen supply, and pearl millet production responses under field conditions for two growing seasons (2014 and 2015). Biochar application to temperate soils (Blacksburg) significantly increased total soil carbon, nitrogen, and plant available potassium in both years. In addition, pearl millet yields significant increased (53%) at the 20 Mg ha⁻¹ rate of peanut shell biochar in 2014 but did not persist in year 2. Beneficial effects largely appeared due to nutrient additions. Biochar treatment to tropical, sandy, salt-affected soils (Ndoff) had no effect on soil chemical properties. These results suggest that biochar application could improve soil fertility and crop productivity in temperate soils but had limited effects on tropical, sandy, salt-stressed soils in this study. The disparate results between these two field studies could be explained by differences in soil properties and climate, biomass feedstock, pyrolysis processes, and biochar handling, as well as experimental set-up. / Master of Science

A concentração de sais na água é um dos principais aspectos a ser observado para se definir uma estratégia de manejo da irrigação, podendo levar a prejuízos pela salinização do solo, com conseqüente redução do rendimento das culturas. Visto que culturas tolerantes à salinidade apresentam maiores teores foliares de certos nutrientes, então a adubação em culturas sensíveis poderia ser conduzida de modo a elevar os teores destes nutrientes nas folhas, promovendo aumento da tolerância da cultura aos sais. Este trabalho teve o objetivo de estudar os efeitos de três doses de N e K na tolerância da cultura do tomateiro à salinidade, bem como avaliar a performance de medidores de íons específicos (MIE) na determinação de nutrientes na solução do solo e na seiva da planta. Mudas de tomateiro, híbrido Facundo, foram transplantadas em 23/10/2001 em vasos contendo 60 kg de solo franco-argilo-arenoso, no espaçamento de 1,0 x 0,5 m, em um ambiente protegido com cobertura de polietileno. Os tratamentos foram compostos pela combinação de três níveis de N (7,5; 15,0 e 22,5 g planta-1) e três níveis de K (8, 16 e 24 gK2O planta-1) aplicados via fertirrigação por gotejamento, no esquema fatorial 3x3 com cinco repetições, sendo que à água de irrigação foram adicionados os sais cloreto de sódio e cloreto de cálcio para obtenção de condutividade elétrica da água de 9,5 dS m-1. Foram realizadas coletas da solução do solo e da seiva do pecíolo para determinações dos nutrientes pelos MIE, cujos valores foram comparados com as determinações pelos métodos-padrões. Não foram observados efeitos significativos dos tratamentos sobre o desenvolvimento e a produtividade das plantas, bem como sobre a qualidade dos frutos. As concentrações de nutrientes na solução do solo determinadas com os MIE apresentaram boa correlação com as determinações pelos métodos-padrões, e as concentrações de nutrientes na seiva do pecíolo foram bem correlacionadas aos teores na matéria seca das folhas. A condutividade elétrica e a concentração iônica na solução do solo não puderam ser estimadas a partir dos valores medidos no extrato de saturação ou na solução 1:2 apenas pela correção de umidade, com exceção do K e Na, cujas estimativas foram satisfatórias para baixas concentrações destes elementos na solução do solo. / The concentration of salts in the water is one of the main aspects to be observed to define a strategy of irrigation management, which could take to damages due to the soil salinization, with consequent reduction of crops yield. Once tolerant crops to salinity present larger tenors of some nutrients in the leaves, then the fertilizing in sensitive crops could be conducted in order to increase the tenors of these nutrients in the leaves to increase the crop tolerance to salts. This work had the objective of studying the effects of three doses of N and K in the tomato tolerance to salinity, as well as to evaluate the performance of cardy-ion meters (CIM) in the determination of nutrients in the soil solution and in the sap of the plant. Tomato seedlings, hybrid Facundo, were transplanted in 10/23/2001 in vases containing 60 kg of a sandy-clay-loam soil, spaced 1.0 x 0.5 m, in a greenhouse covered with polyethylene film. The treatments were composed by the combination of three levels of N (7.5; 15.0 and 22.5 g plant-1) and three levels of K (8, 16 and 24 gK2O plant-1) applied by drip fertigation, in the 3x3 factorial scheme with five replications. Salts (sodium chloride and calcium chloride) were added to the irrigation water for obtaining an electric conductivity of 9.5 dS m-1. Soil solution and petiole sap were collected for determinations of the nutrients with the CIM, whose values were compared with the determinations by the standard methods. Significant effects of the treatments were not observed for the development and yield of the plants, as well as for the fruits quality. The concentrations of nutrients in the soil solution determined with CIM showed good correlations with the determinations by the standard methods, and the concentrations of nutrients in the petiole sap were well correlated to the tenors in the dry matter of the leaves. The electric conductivity and the ionic concentration in the soil solution could not be estimated from the measured values in the saturation extract or in the solution 1:2 only by the correction of the water content, except for K and Na, whose estimates were satisfactory for low concentrations of these elements in the soil solution.

Thesis (M. Agric. (Plant Production)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The evergreen Red Milkwood (Mimusops zeyheri Sond.) is being targeted as a rural and urban-greening tree in Limpopo Province, due to its excellent nutritional, pharmaceutical and aesthetic attributes. Slow growth of M. zeyheri seedlings is the main drawback in the potential domestication and commercialisation of this tree species. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the influence of soil type on root growth and foliar nutrient elements in M. zeyheri seedlings, (2) the degree of salt tolerance in M. zeyheri seedlings and (3) the influence of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) fungi on growth of M. zeyheri seedlings. Objective 1 was achieved in clay, calcareous, loam and sandy soils. At 60 days after the treatments, soil type effects were significant on plant height, leaf number, chlorophyll content of primary leaves (dicots), chlorophyll content of secondary leaves, root length, number of root branches and dry root mass, contributing 60, 72, 84, 85, 74, 80 and 40% in total treatment variation (TTV) of the respective variables. Objective 2 was achieved by exposing seedlings to 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 NaCl + CaCl2 mM/m3 at 3:1 ratio. At 90 days after the treatments, salinity effects were significant on leaf number, dry shoot mass, root length and leaf length, contributing 73, 60, 50 and 64% in TTV of the respective variables. Leaf number, dry shoot mass, root length and leaf length each against increasing concentration of salinity exhibited positive curvilinear quadratic relations, with 74, 91, 95 and 66% associations, respectively. Responses of essential nutrient accumulation in leaf tissues of M. zeyheri to salt treatments had significant effects on K and Na, contributing 28 and 19% in TTV of the respective variables. Potassium over increasing salt concentrations exhibited positive quadratic relations and Na over increasing salt concentrations, exhibited negative quadratic relations. The models for each relation were explained by 95 and 86%, respectively. Objective 3 was achieved by exposing seedlings to 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 g VAM per plant. At 90 days after the treatments, VAM effects were significant on plant height, leaf number, stem diameter and chlorophyll content contributing, 49, 65, 60 and 61% in TTV of the respective variables. Plant height, leaf number and chlorophyll content each against increasing VAM levels exhibited negative quadratic relations, with 97, 83 and 80% associates, respectively. In conclusion, the use of soil type to promote growth and accumulation of essential nutrient elements on M. zeyheri seedlings demonstrated that clay soil could be suitable for cultivation of M. zeyheri. Also chloride salt concentrations included all three phases of density-dependent growth (DDG) patterns, whereas VAM levels used in the study were already in the last two phases of DDG patterns. Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza treatment did not have significant effects on Ca, Fe, K, Na and Zn in leaf tissues of M. zeyheri seedlings. In conclusion, soil with high clay content could be ideal when raising M. zeyheri seedlings. However, salt concentration of 8.11 mM/m3 exhibited the stimulation of M. zeyheri seedlings growth, Therefore, lower concentration less than 8.11 mM/m3 shown to be toxic by reducing the plant growth. In contrast, 5.554 g per plant of VAM will supreme for growth and development of M. zeyheri seedlings.

Soil salinity, a yield-limiting condition, has plagued crop production for centuries by reducing crop productivity. Research has introduced methods for successfully managing soil salinity. This research discusses the adaptation of established management methods to create new soil salinity management techniques. One adapted technique is an automated crop screening apparatus. A new design was created and successfully used in rapidly screening two strawberry cultivars to determine their tolerance to salinity. Screening crops and determining their tolerance to yield-limiting conditions are essential in managing soil salinity. Another salinity management tool used in this research was electromagnetic induction (EMI). EMI was used to complete a basin-scale inventory over an 18,000 ha study area in Cache County, Utah. The data obtained during the inventory were used to create EMI calibration models and a basin-scale map showing the spatial distribution of apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa). These new methods for crop tolerance screenings and basin-scale salinity inventories will assist in successfully managing soil salinity and decrease its effect on the global food supply.

Landholders in the Booberoi to Quandialla (B-Q) Transect area, located in central west NSW, have been concerned about an emerging dryland salinity problem since the late 1990�s (Wooldridge 2002, pers. comm. Muller 2002, pers. comm.) with borehole information and electromagnetic induction investigations supporting anecdotal observations. The presence of indicator vegetation, waterlogging of soils and salinisation of land are becoming increasingly prevalent, with two well-documented sites including �Strathairlie� near Quandialla, and �Back Creek� near West Wyalong. The B-Q Transect area lies within the Bland Creek Catchment, a broad open plain of subdued topography and restricted drainage receiving sediments from elevated rises located to the west, south and east. Significant deposits of transported alluvial materials have in-filled the catchment to depths in excess of 160 m and have posed a particular impediment to regional-scale mineral exploration. Stream flow across the alluvial plains and low angle alluvial fans is intermittent with most of the flow being diverted into groundwater storage or lost to evaporation. Rarely do streams flow into Lake Cowal to the north. A partial electromagnetic (EM) induction survey coupled with a long term bore and piezometer network monitoring program have been implemented by the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR � formerly Department of Land and Water Conservation) Central West NSW Salt Group. These programs allow for initial, broad-scale evaluation of the magnitude and spatial distribution of the salinity problem but fail to pinpoint remaining sites at risk as well as the mechanisms of salt emplacement. As part of an approach to assist with hazard mitigation and land management, two regolith-landform maps are being compiled using 1:20,000 scales in the Back Creek and Quandialla areas. A third, more regional regolith-landform map at 1:50,000 scale (Holzapfel & Moore 2003a, b & c) provides context for the more detailed mapping areas. The new regolith-landform maps will aid in interpretation of existing geophysical techniques, help piece together the three-dimensional characteristics of the Bland Creek catchment, aid in the development of a shallow fluid flow and palaeotopographic model and assist land managers in formulating land management units (LMU�s). The three-dimensional integration of regolith-landform mapping, electromagnetic studies, bore information and other geophysical methods is critical in determining the interaction, distribution and movement of groundwater in the Bland Creek Catchment as buried palaeochannels represent preferred fluid pathways. The distribution of these palaeochannels has implications for future dryland salinity outbreaks, the remediation of current outbreaks and mineral exploration closer to the well-known Wyalong Goldfield (Lawrie et al., 1999). The western quarter of the B-Q Transect area partially overlaps with the recently completed GILMORE Project (Lawrie et al., 2003a,b & c), a multi-disciplinary study, coordinated by Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS). Regolith-landform information in addition to gamma-ray spectrometry, magnetics, airborne electromagnetics and a digital elevation model acquired by the GILMORE Project have been incorporated into regolith-landform maps over the B-Q Transect. The incorporation of these datasets has helped not only extend the usefulness of the GILMORE Project data but provide a consistent, regolith-landform coverage for the broader Bland Creek Catchment. Regolith-landform mapping has been successful in highlighting major recharge zones for local and intermediate flow systems. The mechanisms for dryland salinity at two well-known sites have also been determined. Increasing salt stores are occurring through evaporation of intermittent floodwaters sourced from floodplains, back plains and broad meandering existing creek systems and recharging partially exposed palaeochannels intersecting the surface. Due to the shallow nature of these partially exposed palaeochannels, evaporation further concentrates the salt load in the soil profile. It is unknown if mapped shallow palaeochannels further away from current drainage systems are affected by rising salt loads. Regolith-landform mapping highlights two additional risk factors common to the 1:50,000 and 1:20,000 scale B-Q Transect mapping areas including widespread waterlogging of soils and wind erosion. Due to the subdued topography, features such as gilgai, fences and roads are having an effect on drainage modification. Wind erosion was also observed to play a major role within the B-Q Transect with significant loss of topsoil creating hardened clay surfaces resistant to water infiltration and significant redistributed deposits of aeolian materials. Interpretation of regolith-landform mapping against geophysical datasets and drill hole data show considerable lateral and vertical variation of regolith units. This variation of regolith distribution with depth does not reduce the effectiveness of using regolithlandform mapping as a valued management tool. The subdued relief coupled with the complex interplay between recharge zones, discharge zones and surficial drainage networks over the B-Q Transect still requires a detailed knowledge of surface regolithlandform characteristics whilst reinforcing the need for a multidisciplinary approach to gain a 3D perspective. Catchment analysis has been performed on drainage systems within the Bland Creek Catchment and has helped explain the strong effect different catchments have had on sediment supply to the Bland Basin. Catchment analysis results have been used in basic calculations of salt loads in the Bland Creek Catchment. An estimated 18,780 Tonnes/yr of salt enter the Bland Creek catchment and as stream flow out of the Bland Creek Catchment is intermittent, salt stores are increasing in the upper margins of the soil profile and groundwater reserves. Reconstruction of the palaeotopography of the B-Q Transect has been made possible using a mutli-disciplinary approach incorporating information from regolith-landform mapping, drill hole information, gamma-ray spectrometry and GILMORE Project datasets. The production of large-scale regolith-landform mapping, the development of a shallow fluid flow model and reconstruction of palaeotopography builds on and contributes to knowledge of the Bland Creek Catchment allowing for detailed farmscale and paddock-scale land management decisions.

The Tragowel Plains Irrigation District lies in the lower Loddon catchment of northern Victoria. Since the 1890s progressive development of the irrigation infrastructure of the Tragowel Plains has been accompanied by the development of irrigation induced soil salinity. In 1988 the State Government of Victoria supported the development of a community managed salinity management plan. At the same time, the water supply industry was significantly deregulated. Full cost recovery principles were applied to irrigation water pricing. Water entitlements were transformed into tradable commodities.The Tragowel Plains Salinity Plan was subsequently promoted by the Victorian government and the Loddon irrigation community as a model for encouraging structural change in a Commonwealth government facilitated regional development plan for the whole of the Loddon-Murray irrigation region. The process of developing this regional development plan revealed difference in the objectives of the various actors in this new planning process. The objective of community planners was the survival of the irrigation district. One of the objectives of Commonwealth was the transfer of water from low value use to high value use. These higher value uses were potentially elsewhere in the Murray Darling Basin. Further, these actors in the planning process used differing implicit models of the process of structural change in irrigation areas. The Commonwealth representatives had an implicit model of structural change in which farm consolidation was driven by the rate of exit from farming. They were also sceptical of the capacity of the Tragowel Plains salinity plan model to facilitate significant change in water use.

A concentração de sais na água é um dos principais aspectos a ser observado para se definir uma estratégia de manejo da irrigação, podendo levar a prejuízos pela salinização do solo, com conseqüente redução do rendimento das culturas. Visto que culturas tolerantes à salinidade apresentam maiores teores foliares de certos nutrientes, então a adubação em culturas sensíveis poderia ser conduzida de modo a elevar os teores destes nutrientes nas folhas, promovendo aumento da tolerância da cultura aos sais. Este trabalho teve o objetivo de estudar os efeitos de três doses de N e K na tolerância da cultura do tomateiro à salinidade, bem como avaliar a performance de medidores de íons específicos (MIE) na determinação de nutrientes na solução do solo e na seiva da planta. Mudas de tomateiro, híbrido Facundo, foram transplantadas em 23/10/2001 em vasos contendo 60 kg de solo franco-argilo-arenoso, no espaçamento de 1,0 x 0,5 m, em um ambiente protegido com cobertura de polietileno. Os tratamentos foram compostos pela combinação de três níveis de N (7,5; 15,0 e 22,5 g planta-1) e três níveis de K (8, 16 e 24 gK2O planta-1) aplicados via fertirrigação por gotejamento, no esquema fatorial 3x3 com cinco repetições, sendo que à água de irrigação foram adicionados os sais cloreto de sódio e cloreto de cálcio para obtenção de condutividade elétrica da água de 9,5 dS m-1. Foram realizadas coletas da solução do solo e da seiva do pecíolo para determinações dos nutrientes pelos MIE, cujos valores foram comparados com as determinações pelos métodos-padrões. Não foram observados efeitos significativos dos tratamentos sobre o desenvolvimento e a produtividade das plantas, bem como sobre a qualidade dos frutos. As concentrações de nutrientes na solução do solo determinadas com os MIE apresentaram boa correlação com as determinações pelos métodos-padrões, e as concentrações de nutrientes na seiva do pecíolo foram bem correlacionadas aos teores na matéria seca das folhas. A condutividade elétrica e a concentração iônica na solução do solo não puderam ser estimadas a partir dos valores medidos no extrato de saturação ou na solução 1:2 apenas pela correção de umidade, com exceção do K e Na, cujas estimativas foram satisfatórias para baixas concentrações destes elementos na solução do solo. / The concentration of salts in the water is one of the main aspects to be observed to define a strategy of irrigation management, which could take to damages due to the soil salinization, with consequent reduction of crops yield. Once tolerant crops to salinity present larger tenors of some nutrients in the leaves, then the fertilizing in sensitive crops could be conducted in order to increase the tenors of these nutrients in the leaves to increase the crop tolerance to salts. This work had the objective of studying the effects of three doses of N and K in the tomato tolerance to salinity, as well as to evaluate the performance of cardy-ion meters (CIM) in the determination of nutrients in the soil solution and in the sap of the plant. Tomato seedlings, hybrid Facundo, were transplanted in 10/23/2001 in vases containing 60 kg of a sandy-clay-loam soil, spaced 1.0 x 0.5 m, in a greenhouse covered with polyethylene film. The treatments were composed by the combination of three levels of N (7.5; 15.0 and 22.5 g plant-1) and three levels of K (8, 16 and 24 gK2O plant-1) applied by drip fertigation, in the 3x3 factorial scheme with five replications. Salts (sodium chloride and calcium chloride) were added to the irrigation water for obtaining an electric conductivity of 9.5 dS m-1. Soil solution and petiole sap were collected for determinations of the nutrients with the CIM, whose values were compared with the determinations by the standard methods. Significant effects of the treatments were not observed for the development and yield of the plants, as well as for the fruits quality. The concentrations of nutrients in the soil solution determined with CIM showed good correlations with the determinations by the standard methods, and the concentrations of nutrients in the petiole sap were well correlated to the tenors in the dry matter of the leaves. The electric conductivity and the ionic concentration in the soil solution could not be estimated from the measured values in the saturation extract or in the solution 1:2 only by the correction of the water content, except for K and Na, whose estimates were satisfactory for low concentrations of these elements in the soil solution.

This thesis examines the ontogeny of plasma sodium regulation (an indicator of osmoregulatory ability), current or rheotactic response (an indicator of emigration timing) and salinity preference in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). The purpose of the study was to determine if there are inherited differences in the development of these traits between coastal and interior British Columbia populations of coho. An interior (Cold water River) and a coastal (Rosewall Creek-Big Qualicum River) population were monitored for the above traits throughout the year. Both wild and laboratory groups were included in the study. The laboratory raised populations were divided into two incubation treatment groups: one incubated under a coastal temperature regime, and the other incubated under an interior temperature regime. There were no differences in the development of sodium regulatory ability between wild populations when the data were sorted by coho weight. Coastal coho, however, physiologically smolted after one year in the natal streams, while interior coho smolted after at least two years of freshwater growth. No obvious differences were noted between wild resident populations in the timing of downstream movement or the shift in salinity preference from hypotonic to isotonic and hypertonic salinities. Both of these behavioural responses typically occurred in the spring (April-May) of each year. Fyke net catches, however, sugqested that, in addition to the spring emigrations observed in both populations, a portion of the interior population migrated in the fall (November). No differences in the development of sodium regulatory ability were observed either within or between laboratory raised populations. Ion regulatory ability increased to a plateau in the fall and winter following emergence, and increased to smolting levels during the following spring (April-May). There were differences between coastal and interior populations in the pattern of development of both nocturnal current responses and the preference for isotonic or hypertonic salinities. Interior laboratory raised coho developed negative nocturnal rheotaxis and a preference for isotonic salinities about three months earlier (November) than laboratory raised coastal coho (late February-March). Within populations, no differences were observed in the ontogeny of these traits in the groups reared under different temperature regimes. Because these interpopulation ontogenetic behavioural differences persisted in fish reared under identical laboratory conditions, they probably have some genetic basis. Such an innate component in behaviour implies an adaptive role and in juvenile coho these behavioural traits may allow populations to use a variety of habitats at different distances from the sea, even though a major physiological schedule (in this case the development of ion regulatory capabilities) appears to be fixed within the species. Perhaps variations in migratory timing and salinity preference in juvenile coho evolved to assure survival in a relatively unstable and often severe environment by optimizing habitat use within the constraints of an overriding physiological schedule. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

In March 2002 the Western Australian Minister for Environment and Heritage adopted a policy framework to guide investment decisions on salinity management. Promoted as Western Australia's Salinity Investment Framework (or the SIF), it offered a set of principles for prioritising investment decisions that were generally grounded in economic theory. This represented a significant landmark in terms of the government's appreciation of the scale of salinity problem and its acknowledgement that a full turnaround in the situation was beyond the reach of both volunteers and the public purse. The evolution of the SIF policy, including an initial trial in the Avon Basin, provided an opportunity to evaluate pre-policy processes; observe policy on the run; and test stakeholder reactions to the investment principles embodied in the the SIF, as well as their reaction to its implied outcomes. The intention of the study was to highlight any barriers standing in the way of effectively implementing a policy to prioritise investments in salinity management and identify any novel approaches developed in an attempt to overcome them. The evaluation was multifaceted to incorporate retrospective and prospective modes of inquiry. The retrospective investigation involved the construction of a series of policy narratives using evidence from notes and minutes taken at SIF meetings, as well as other formal and informal documents. It systematically captured the influence of key people, events and decisions on the SIF up until June 2008. This evaluation highlighted the impact of (1) policy entrepreneurs; (2) time lags; (3) vertical silos, and (4) priority setting hierarchies. The prospective investigation involved the execution of a community survey featuring attitudinal questions, paired comparisons and a choice modelling experiment. The survey involved 269 personal interviews with rural landholders, townspeople and landcare officers across the Avon Catchment. It captured perceptions towards past funding strategies and proposals for future allocations and explored the nature of priority setting decisions in relation to trade-offs between: (1) the mix of assets protected; (2) the degree of risk; (3) the level of community involvement in the decision, and (4) the distribution of benefits. This evaluation highlighted the importance of (1) incentives and disincentives for change; (2) awareness of priority setting concepts; (3) the capacity of regional bodies; and (4) elements perceived to be crucial in priority setting.

Master of Science / Department of Biology / Jesse B. Nippert / In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed and enacted the Reclamation Act, which would fundamentally alter the lowland hydrology of the arid southwest over the next century. Flow regulations, groundwater pumping, damming, and river channel changes have led to decreases in water table heights and periodic overbank flooding, and subsequently, increased soil salinity in the arid Southwest. During this period, native riparian tree species have declined significantly and an invasive tree species, Tamarix ramosissima, has increased in abundance and distribution. Increases in soil salinity negatively impact the physiology of native riparian tree species, but the impacts of soil salinity on Tamarix physiology are incompletely known. I studied the impact of increasing soil salinities on the physiology of Tamarix in both field and controlled environments. I first studied the impacts of increasing soil salinities on Tamarix physiology at two semi-arid sites in western Kansas. I concluded that physiological functioning in Tamarix was maintained across a soil salinity gradient from 0 to 14,000 ppm illustrating robust physiological responses. Using cuttings from Tamarix trees at both sites, I subjected plants to higher NaCl concentrations (15,000 and 40,000 ppm). Tamarix physiology was decreased at 15,000 ppm and 40,000 ppm. Tamarix physiological functioning was affected at the induction of treatments, but acclimated over 30-40 days. These results reveal a threshold salinity concentration at which Tamarix physiological functioning decreases, but also illustrate the advantageous halophytic nature of Tamarix in these saline environments. Many arid and semi-arid environments are predicted to become more saline, however, results from both studies suggest that increasing salinity will not be a major barrier for Tamarix persistence and range expansion in these environments.