Ecophysiological constraints of two invasive plant species under a saline gradient: Halophytes versus glycophytes

Salt marsh environments are harsh environments where salinity comprises one of the most important species distribution shaping factor, presenting sediment salinities from 0 to 855 mM (0-50 ppt). Invasive species have often a high colonizing potential, due to its high plasticity and adaptation ability. Spartina patens is an invasive species already spread along several Mediterranean countries, like France and Spain. Cyperus longus is typically a freshwater species that has been spreading across the Mediterranean. In order to evaluate the ecophysiological fitness of these species, mesocosmos trials were performed subjecting both species to increasing realistic salinity levels and their photochemical and biochemical feedback was evaluated. Both species presented very different behaviours. S. patens appears to be insensitive to salt stress, mostly due to elevated proline concentrations in its leaves allowing it to maintain its osmotic balance, and thus preventing the damaging of its photochemical mechanisms. C. longus, on the other hand, was highly affected by elevated salt levels mostly due to the lack of osmotic balance driven by an incapacity to counteract the elevated ionic strength of the external medium by osmocompatible solutes. S. patens is physiologically highly adapted to saline environments and thus is capable to colonize all the marsh saline environments, while C. longus appears to be an opportunistic invader colonizing the marsh during periods of lower salinities typical from rainy seasons.