Temporal variations and spatial patterns in saline and waterlogged peat fields: II. Ion accumulation in transplanted salt marsh graminoids

Our earlier study in New Brunswick, Canada showed that Spartina pectinata Link survived very well after transplantation in a barren cutover bog that was contaminated by seawater, in all combinations of salinity and moisture content tested. However, the survival of Juncus balticus Willd. was adversely affected in areas with very high moisture contents. The main aim of this current study was to understand the salinity tolerance of both species grown in salinized peat fields by determining how much salt ions, especially Na+ and Cl− were accumulated in the above-ground and below-ground parts of these plants. A second aim of this paper was to determine the accumulation of potentially toxic metals Fe and Mn. S. pectinata had significantly greater concentrations of Na+ and Cl− in the above- than in the below-ground parts. In contrast, J. balticus had Na+ concentration significantly greater in the below- than in the above-ground parts while for Cl−, there was no significant difference. These contrasting patterns of Na+ accumulation demonstrated typical characteristics of a halophyte (S. pectinata) and a glycophyte tolerant to salinity (J. balticus) described in literature. Fe and Mn concentrations in both species were low but only Fe approached deficiency levels in plants.