Investigation of initial establishment and germination of plant species in the soil under Salsola arbasculiformis Drob. pot cultivation conditions

Studying the ecology of halophyte plant species provides useful information for reclamation and managements of arid and semiarid rangelands. This research was implemented as a pot experiment in which seeds of three rangeland species (Erotiaceratoides, Agropyrndesertorum, and Salsolaarbusculiformis) were sown in the soil taken from understory of Salsola or from the open spaces. Soil samples were taken from the upper and lower soil depths, under the canopy of Salsola and/or in the adjacent open areas during spring-autumn 2012. In the study, the seedling emergence and growth were assessed. Significant differences were assessed between treatments using one-way analysis of variance in SPSS 16.0 software. According to the pot experiment, emergence rate and seedling weight of Salsola did not vary between the soil types, however its stem length and vigor index were lower in the soil taken from understory. For Agropyron and Erotia seedling emergence rate and percentage, stem length, seedling weight and vigor index were lower when growing in soils taken from the understory of Salsola than in open spaces. We conclude that Salsola takes soil cations from the deep soil layers and accumulate them within its leaves. Negative effects of Salsola leaves on its own seedlings under the canopy (autogenic succession), together with high livestock grazing, may severely threat its population in the Garmeh rangelands.