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Article: Halophytes
- Article from:
- Plant Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Halophytes
Halophytes (salt plants) are organisms that require elevated amounts of sodium up to or exceeding seawater strength (approximately 33 parts of sodium per thousand) for optimal growth. In contrast, most crops cease to produce with sodium at 1 to 3 ppt. Halophytes are found worldwide, including in deserts where infrequent rainfall leaches
ions
to the surface. They encroach into irrigated lands as ion concentrations increase over time. They are best known as mangroves, a term for a number of unrelated tree species, which in tropical
ecosystems
stabilize coastlines in species-rich habitats threatened by development. Halophytism characterizes species in many plant families, ...