Aridity level, rainfall pattern and soil features as key factors in germination strategies in salt-affected plant communities

Abstract In arid environments, particularly in halophytic habitats, germination ecophysiology is strongly affected by environmental factors, primarily water availability, which is influenced by quantity and seasonal distribution of precipitation and soil properties. The aim of this paper was to demonstrate that water availability is essential for the control of germination and the response of seedlings growing in saline areas. With this approach, we compared the germination strategies in two Halocnemum populations with contrasting rainfall regimes and soil aridity. The germination behavior and radicle growth under various temperature regimes, light conditions and salinity levels were evalua…