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    High rock content enhances plant resistance to drought in saline topsoils

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Embargo Lift Date
    2023-06-10
    Authors
    Lison, Christine
    Cross, Adam
    Stevens, Jason
    Valliere, Justin
    Dixon, Kingsley
    Veneklaas, Erik
    Date
    2021
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
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    Citation
    Lison, C. and Cross, A. and Stevens, J. and Valliere, J. and Dixon, K.W. and Veneklaas, E. 2021. High rock content enhances plant resistance to drought in saline topsoils. Journal of Arid Environments. 193: ARTN 104589.
    Source Title
    Journal of Arid Environments
    DOI
    10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104589
    ISSN
    0140-1963
    Faculty
    Faculty of Science and Engineering
    School
    School of Molecular and Life Sciences (MLS)
    Funding and Sponsorship
    http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/IC150100041
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/87130
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Successful mine site restoration in semi-arid regions is limited by availability of topsoil and water, and saline soils are a common feature of these regions and pose an additional stressor to vegetation establishment. We tested the growth and development of a salt-tolerant species on saline topsoil incorporating 25%, 50%, 75% and 88% waste rock, examining soil water content and plant water use to determine how waste rock content affected plant-water relations, growth and development. Under well-watered conditions higher percentages of waste rock lowered the volumetric water content of the total soil mix, causing a reduction in stomatal conductance. Under drought conditions, higher waste rock content reduced rates of water loss and allowed stomatal conductance to be maintained over a longer period. There was no significant or optimal relationship between waste rock content and plant growth, indicating that the addition of waste rock to topsoil has complex effects on plant-water relations and growth. We demonstrate that augmentation of limited topsoil resources with waste rock is a promising option for improving plant resistance to drought in mine site restoration.

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