Ions Relationships between Plant and Soil under Hot Desert Conditions

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Egypt

2 Biology Department, Faculty of Applied Science, Umm Al-Qura University, K.S.A.

Abstract

This study was carried out on eight wild species inhabited the tributaries of Wadi Noman, in the western region of Saudi Arabia. The results were indicated that, the correlations between soil texture and water soluble ions of soil extract were positive in case of clay and silt soils and negative in case of sandy soil, while the correlation with gravel was variable. A correlation between the water content of plant, fine soil and gravel was negative, while a positive correlation was existed with sandy soil. Generally, the investigated species accumulated more potassium followed by sodium. Meanwhile, calcium and magnesium were moderately accumulated in plants; the accumulation of chlorides and sulphates was minor. The high K+/Na+ ratio was observed in both Heliotropium. arbainense and low ratio in Caralluma russeliana (succulent species). Apparently, there were significant correlations between ions of the soil and analogous ions in plant. Also, the interaction between Wadi and species had a major role on the elemental constituents of plants, while single factors alternate the secondary role

Keywords