How much sodium can aquatic plants tolerate?

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Semi off topic, I heard somewhere that because of salting roads (for cars), the plant species growing next to the roads are being altered in favor of more salt resistant species.
I havent checked if its true though.

It is true. The obvious one in the UK is Danish Scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica) which forms a white ribbon along nearly all out main roads in the spring now <"Danish scurvy grass thrives in gritted road conditions">.

I've (botanically) surveyed a few road sides and a lot of them have other (less obvious) halophytes, like Plantago coronopus & Puccinellia distans as well - <"https://archive.bsbi.org.uk/Wats14p41.pdf">.

This is the map for P. distans , C. danica would be <"even more widespread">.

cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I'll do this as a separate post (just to get my <"post count up">)

For example, if a plant comes from extremely solute poor waters, is it then more likely to be intolerant of Na?

I'm pretty sure they will be less tolerant, partially because hard water is also more sodium rich water and <"highly mineralised water"> will be more salty again.

For the European flora "salt tolerance" is one of the values recorded in the Ellenberg Index. This has recently been updated (see I knew my "day-job" would come in useful) to EIVE values (Ecological Indicator Values for Europe (EIVE) 1.0) and there is a huge database covering all of Europe's flora - <"Ecological Indicator Values for Europe (EIVE) 1.0">.

cheers Darrel

 

[John q]

as a matter of fact, with appropriate acclimation, a lot of popular easy plants can thrive even in brackish water (way above 1000 ppm Na)... including some Vallisneria species, some Anubias species, Java Fern... among others.

Yeah, i suspect there are lots of plants that can grow quite happily under higher levels of Na than we imagine is ideal, a caveat to this in our aquariums would be the need for acclimatisation.

Just doing a quick search throws up Bacopa monnieri, Pistia stratiotes, Myriophyllum aquaticum, Lemna minor, Cryptocoryne ciliata and I even found one document that suggested Ludwigia palustris grew quite well in salty marshes.

Of course, the above list is suggesting aquatic plants that can grow in near brackish waters, not the ~50ppm levels we're discussing in this thread. To that end I'll go out on a limb and say a very wide range of the "normal" plants we keep in our aquariums will, given time adapt to these levels.

I think we need another dozen maq's to test out these theory's 😆

 

[xZaiox]

I think we need another dozen maq's to test out these theory's 😆

Amen!

 

[MichaelJ]

Of course, the above list is suggesting aquatic plants that can grow in near brackish waters, not the ~50ppm levels we're discussing in this thread. To that end I'll go out on a limb and say a very wide range of the "normal" plants we keep in our aquariums will, given time adapt to these levels.

I think you’re absolutely right John. But acclimation is key… and isn’t that really the case for a lot of the situations we are facing with our tanks, be it plants or livestock…

Btw. Brackish water is often defined as somewhere between 500-30000 ppm and seawater above 30000 ppm of Na.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[_Maq_]

Farmers' literature mention some crops which actually benefit from Na content, I remember sugar beet.
While struggling to make my Ammannia pedicellata Gold look decently well, I wonder if possibly this plant belongs in the same group. It stems from Africa and African soils are often sodic. I haven't got enough Maqs to test it, yet... 😔

 

[John q]

and isn’t that really the case for a lot of the situations we are facing with our tanks, be it plants or livestock…

Yes, acclimatisation in most situations is key.

If I ever retire I'll set up some salinity test tanks and document the results. I'm thinking.

Possible tap water 50ppm (Tank A)
Slightly saline 1000ppm (Tank B)
Highly saline 30000ppm (Tank C)
Insane dead sea 300000ppm (Tank D)

Farmers' literature mention some crops which actually benefit from Na content

I'd have to check but in some of the papers I read it showed improved growth/nutrient uptake in Lemna minor and Vallisneria under elevated Na levels, so the literature regards Na benefits (to some plants) isn't restricted to terrestrial growth alone.

 

[_Maq_]

If I ever retire

I don't know your age, but they say the government is preparing retirement reform incl. retirement age pushed to ninety-eight.

 

[John q]

retirement age pushed to ninety-eight.

I suspect you're not far off the mark there.
I also believe future governments are going to introduce a death tax, which would entail handing 99.9% of ones possessions to the state upon death.

I'm 51, the current pension age for me in the UK will be 67.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I don't know your age, but they say the government is preparing retirement reform incl. retirement age pushed to ninety-eight.

Move to France? Maybe not.

cheers Darrel