The Effects of Soil Moisture on Structural and Biomass Characteristics of Four Salt Marsh Plants

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Abstract
In a controlled greenhouse experiment young Deschampsia cespitosa, Grindelia integrifolia, Distichlis spicata and Salicornia virginica plants were subjected to dry, field capacity, and saturated soil conditions. Plant height, stem diameter, stem density, number of leaves, number and length of internodes, and number of primary and secondary branches varied among the three treatments. The quantity of aerenchyma in S. virginica was greatest in the saturated treatment. In G. integrifolia the amount of secondary xylem was greatest in the dry treatment. Maximum above- and below-ground biomass occurred under field capacity conditions for the four species. Root to shoot ratios of D cespitosa and S. virginica were not affected by changes in soil moisture while that of D. spicata was lowest in the saturated treatment and that of G. integrifolia was lowest in the dry treatment.