Bashari, H., Kazemi, S., Poodineh, S., Mosaddeghi, M.R., Tarkesh, M. and Adnani, S., 2021. Interactions between vegetation dynamic and edaphic factors in the Great Salt Desert of central Iran. Journal of Arid Land, 13(2), pp.123-134.

Abstract: Investigating the relationships between vegetation dynamic and edaphic factors provide
management insights into factors affecting the growth and establishment of plant species and vegetation
communities in saline areas. The aim of this study was to assess the spatial variability of various
vegetation communities in relation to edaphic factors in the Great Salt Desert, central Iran. Fifteen
vegetation communities were identified using the physiognomy-floristic method. Coverage and density of
vegetation communities were determined using the transect plot method. Forty soil samples were collected
from major horizons of fifteen profiles in vegetation communities, and analyzed in terms of following soil
physical and chemical characteristics: soil texture, soluble Na+ concentration, sodium adsorption ratio
(SAR), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, organic matter content, soluble Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrations,
carbonate and gypsum contents, and spontaneously- and mechanically-dispersible clay contents.
Redundancy analysis was used to investigate the relationships between vegetation dynamic and edaphic
factors. The generalized linear method (GLM) was used to find the plant species response curves against
edaphic factors. Results showed that plant species responded differently to edaphic factors, in which
soluble sodium concentration, EC, SAR, gypsum content and soil texture were identified as the most
discriminative edaphic factors. The studied plant species were also found to have different ecological
requirements and tolerance to edaphic factors, in which Tamarix aphylla and Halocnemum strobilaceum were
identified as the most salt-resistant species in the region. Furthermore, the presence of Artemisia sieberi was
highly related to soil sand and gypsum contents. The results implied that exploring the plant species
response curves against edaphic factors can assist managers to lay out more appropriate restoration plans
in similar arid areas.