Note: Intro -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgement -- Contents -- Contributors -- Disclaimer -- Introduction -- 1: Prospects of Environmentally Friendly Farms for Food Security in Hot and Dry Coastal Areas Based on Seawater Irrigation and Wasteproducts - An Inspirational Proposal -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Rational -- 3 A Concept to Enhance Food and Water Security in Hot Dry Deserts -- 4 Technical Units -- 5 Educational, Economics, PR and Administration Units -- 6 Strategic Partnerships -- 7 Research Focus in Laboratories and External -- 8 Benefits to the Farm Owner -- 9 Visits -- 10 Expected Products and Output -- 11 Human Resources and Technical Requirements -- 12 Costs and Timing and Funding -- References -- 2: Halophytic Life in Brazilian Salt Flats: Biodiversity, Uses and Threats -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Coastal Salt Flats -- 2.1 Geomorphologic Features and Main Environmental Factors -- 2.2 Plant Communities of Coastal Salt Flats -- 2.3 Ecological and Social Significance of Coastal Salt Flats -- 2.4 Threats and Conservation -- 2.5 Ethnobotany and Potential Utilisation of Halophytes as Cash Crop -- 3 Inland Salt Flats -- 3.1 Geomorphologic Features, Inland Salt Flat Formation and Main Environmental Factors -- 3.2 Biodiversity and Plant Communities -- 3.3 Ethnobotany and Potential Utilisation of Halophytes as Cash Crop -- References -- 3: Physiological Ecology of Psammophytic and Halophytic Plant Species from Coastal Plains in Northern South America -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Climate and Soils -- 3 Vegetation Types and Floristics of the Coastal Regions and Islands of the Caribbean Coast of Colombia and Venezuela -- 4 Functional Characterization of Halophytic Vegetation -- 4.1 Mangroves -- 4.2 Terrestrial Halophytes Associated with Inland Mangroves. , 5 Nutritional Characterization of Psammophytic and Halophytic Species Based on Their Elemental Composition -- 5.1 Soils -- 5.2 Plants -- 5.2.1 Succulence and Ash Content -- 5.2.2 Total Element Concentrations -- 5.2.3 Concentration of Soluble Elements -- 5.2.4 Fractionation of Ca from Photosynthetic Tissues -- 6 Natural Abundance of 13C and 15N in Photosynthetic Tissues -- 7 Mycorrhiza and Nutrition of Psammophytes -- 8 Halophytes and Psammophytes of the Caribbean Coast of Venezuela -- 9 Concluding Remarks -- References -- 4: Morphophysiology and Biochemistry of Prosopis strombulifera Under Salinity. Are Halophytes Tolerant to All Salts? -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Soil Salinization -- 3 Introducing the Genus Prosopis -- 3.1 Prosopis strombulifera -- 4 Endogenous Hormonal Responses of P. strombulifera -- 5 Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense -- 6 Synthesis of Polyphenols - An Expensive Cost to Survive -- 7 P. strombulifera as a Natural Source of Biomolecules -- 8 Conclusions and Future Prospects -- References -- 5: A Review of the North American Halophyte Suaeda linearis (Ell.) Moq. -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Taxonomy and Variation -- 2.1 Taxonomy -- 2.2 Seed Morphology -- 2.3 Root Morphology -- 2.4 Shoot Morphology -- 2.5 Inflorescence -- 2.6 Fruits -- 2.7 Variability -- 2.8 Chromosome Number -- 3 Geographic Distribution -- 4 Range of Habitats -- 4.1 Substrate Characteristics -- 4.2 Climatic Requirements -- 4.3 Response to Water Levels -- 5 Plant Communities -- 6 Physiological Ecology -- 6.1 Phenology -- 7 Population Biology -- 7.1 Population Dynamics -- 8 Reproduction -- 8.1 Dispersal -- 8.2 Seed Bank and Seed Size -- 8.3 Germination Ecology -- 9 Geomorphological Interactions -- 10 Interactions with Other Species -- 10.1 Competition and Facilitation -- 10.2 Predation -- 10.3 Parasitism. , 11 Economic Importance -- 11.1 Wildlife Value -- 11.2 Medical Uses -- 11.3 Potential Biological Control Agents -- References -- 6: Assessing Seed Germination Responses of Great Basin Halophytes to Various Exogenous Chemical Treatments Under Saline Conditions -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 Seed Collection and Study Site -- 2.2 Experiment 01: Determining Salt Tolerance of Halophyte Seeds During Germination -- 2.3 Experiment 02: Examining Efficacy of Different DRC Treatments in Improving Salt Tolerance of Halophyte Seeds -- 2.4 Statistical Analyses -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Salt Tolerance of Halophyte Seeds During Germination -- 3.2 Efficacy of DRC Treatments in Improving Salt Tolerance of Halophyte Seeds -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- 7: Genetic Variability of Three Annual Halophyte Species in an Inland Salt Marsh Through Time -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 Description of the Species -- 2.2 Determination of Sample Size -- 2.3 Plant Tissue Collection -- 2.4 DNA Extraction and ISSR Amplification -- 2.5 Visualization and Scoring of Bands -- 3 Statistical Analyses -- 3.1 Genetic Diversity Within and Among Cohorts -- 3.2 Genetic Differentiation -- 3.3 Relationships Among Cohorts -- 4 Results -- 4.1 Determination of Sample Size -- 4.2 Genetic Diversity Within and Among Cohorts -- 4.3 Genetic Differentiation -- 4.4 Relationships Among Cohorts -- 5 Discussion -- References -- 8: The Impact of Lake Bonneville and Lake Lahontan on the Halophytes of the Great Basin -- 1 The Significance of the Great Basin Region -- 1.1 The Formation of Lake Bonneville -- 2 Lake Lahontan and the Formation of Saline Areas -- 2.1 Formation of Lake Lahontan -- 3 Overflowing of Lake Bonneville -- 3.1 Lake Bonneville Overflows at Red Rock Pass -- 4 Reduction in the Size of the Large Lakes. , 4.1 Changes in the Size and Number of Lakes -- 4.2 Characteristic of Pyramid Lake -- 4.3 Characteristics of Humboldt Sink -- 4.4 Characteristics of Carson Sink -- 4.5 Characteristics of Walker Lake -- 4.6 Characteristics of the Black Rock Desert -- 4.7 Characteristics of Honey Lake Basin (California-Nevada) -- 4.8 Characteristics of Winnemucca Lake (Nevada) -- 4.9 Characteristics of Mono Lake, California -- 4.10 Characteristics of Lake Manly -- 5 Characteristics of Great Salt Lake -- 5.1 The Properties of Great Salt Lake -- 5.2 Another Remnant (Saline Lake) of Lake Bonneville Is Sevier Lake Located in Millard County -- 6 The Three Shrub-Steppe Zones -- 6.1 Distribution of Plants into Three Shrub-Steppe Zones -- 6.2 In the Salt-Desert Shrub Zone the Dominant Plants Are Halophyte Perennials -- 6.3 Atriplex gardneri (Moq.) D. Dietr (Syn Atriplex nuttallii) Gardner Saltbush -- 6.4 Allenrolfea occidentalis (Wats) Kuntze (Iodine Bush or Pickleweed) -- 6.5 Salicornia utahensis Tidestr. Syn Salicornia pacifica var utahensis (Tidestr.) Munz. (Utah Samphire) -- 6.6 Salicornia europaea var rubra L syn (Salicornia rubra A Nels). (Samphire Annual) -- 6.7 Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene. (Native Saltgrass) -- 7 Halophytes Present at Lower Salinity (96 Mmho Cm−1) -- 7.1 Astragalus Species -- 8 Semi-Desert Sagebrush Zone -- 9 Exotic Annual Salt Tolerant Species -- References -- 9: Halophytic Flora of Argentina: A Checklist and an Analysis of its Diversity -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 3 Results and Discussion -- Appendix -- References -- 10: Coastal Environments in the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Physical Drivers Shaping the Estuarine Dynamics -- 1.2 Climatic Patterns -- 1.3 A Coastal Landscape Modeled by the Holocene Marine Transgression -- 1.4 Coastal Wetlands and Landscape Patterns. , 1.5 Plant Communities -- 1.6 Non Vegetated Environments -- 2 Conclusions -- References -- 11: Sarcocornia magellanica (Phil.) M. A. Alonso & -- M. B. Crespo: A Halophyte Native of Tierra Del Fuego (Argentina) Irrigated With Sea Water for Human Consumption and Sheep Meat Production -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 3 Results -- 3.1 In the Marsh R. Chico -- 3.2 Beagle Channel Coast, Trial 1 -- 3.3 Beagle Channel, Trial 2 -- 3.4 Nutritional Quality of Sarcocornia and Meat Lamb -- 4 Discussion and Conclusions -- References -- 12: Design Concept of a Reverse Osmosis Reject Irrigated Landscape: Connecting Source to Sabkha -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods/Approach -- 3 Results/Design -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Conclusion -- Appendix -- Monthly Values -- References -- 13: The Seed Bank of a Hypersaline Shrub Community in the Bahamas -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Seed Bank: Overview -- 1.2 Conocarpus erectus: Overview -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 Study Site -- 2.2 Seed Bank -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Seed Dispersal -- 3.2 Above Ground Vegetation -- 3.3 Similarity Between Vegetation and Seed Bank -- 4 Discussion -- References -- 14: Salt Contaminated Water Phytotreatment by Constructed Wetland -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Salt-Contaminated Water Phytoremediation -- 3 Phytoextraction -- 4 Brine Volume Reduction -- 5 Recommendations -- 5.1 CW Design -- 5.2 Species Selection -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- 15: Agriculture and Sheep Production on Patagonian Sabkahs with Sarcocornia neei Irrigated with Seawater (Chubut - Argentina) -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 Study Area -- 2.2 The Species Sarcocornia neei -- 2.3 Climate -- 2.4 Soils and Water -- 2.5 Irrigation Water -- 2.6 Pilot Crop of Sarcocornia neei -- 2.7 Sheep Production Pilot Run in the Community of S. neei of Malaspina Cove (Chubut). , 2.8 Production of Sarcocornia neei in Malaspina Cove Marshland.

Note: Intro -- Foreword -- Preface -- Obituary for Prof. Ajmal Khan -- Acknowledgments -- Disclaimer -- Contents -- Contributors -- Introduction -- 1: Halophyte Research, Conservation and Development: The Role of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Asia-Pacific -- Background Information -- Halophytes -- UNESCO Biosphere Reserves -- The UN Sustainable Development Goals -- Halophyte Research, Conservation and Development in BRs Assist Achieving the UN SDGs -- What Are the Halophyte-Specific Roles of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves? -- 2: Evidence for the Role of Salinity and Alkalinity in Plant Diversification in Australia -- Introduction -- Geographical Context of Soil Salinity and Alkalinity -- Hummock and Tussock Grasslands -- Acacia Woodlands and Shrublands -- Mallee Eucalypt Woodlands -- Other Vegetation Formations -- References -- 3: Aspects of the Abu Dhabi Sabkha -- Introduction -- Barrier Island Complex -- Lagoon Developments and Ratesof Infill -- Sea Level Changes and Current SeaLevel Rise -- Coastal Sabkha Enlargement -- Abu Dhabi Formation -- Aeolian Sediments -- Oolite Formation -- Evaporite Distribution -- Holocene Dolomite -- Magnesium-Silicate Clays -- Holocene Hardgrounds -- Tepee Structures -- Conservation -- Conclusions -- References -- 4: Comparative Seed Germination Ecology of Sabkha and Playa Halophytes of Pakistan -- Introduction -- Material and Methods -- Seed Collection and Study Site -- Seed Germination Experiments -- Seed Recovery Experiments -- Results -- Seed Germination Responses -- Seed Recovery Responses -- Discussion -- Seed Germination Responses Under Nonsaline Conditions -- Seed Germination Responses Under Saline Conditions -- Recovery of Germination from Salinity -- Recovery of Germination from Dark -- Conclusions -- References -- 5: Plants of Sabkha Ecosystems of the Arabian Peninsula -- Introduction. , Sabkhas of the Arabian Peninsula -- Climate -- Distribution and Biogeography of the Halophytic Flora of the Arabian Peninsula -- Terrestral Sabkha Vegetation and Plant Communities -- Saudi Arabia -- Yemen -- Oman -- United Arab Emirates -- Bahrain -- Qatar -- Kuwait -- Intertidal Vegetation -- Mangroves -- Salt Marshes -- Sub-tidal Vegetation -- Seagrasses -- Seed Dispersal and Germination Strategies in Halophytes -- Dispersal and Seed Bank -- Salinity and Tolerance During Germination -- Fast Germination of Halophytes -- Halophytes in Bioremediation -- Conservation of Sabkha Ecosystems -- Appendix: Halophytes of the Arabian Peninsula. Accepted Names in Bold -- Synonyms in Italics -- References -- 6: RETRACTED CHAPTER: Desert Halophytes: Alleviating the Pressure on the Scarce Resources of Arable Soil and Freshwater -- Introduction -- Materials and Methods -- Tamarix Collection and Field Experiment -- Tamarix Sand Culture Experiment -- Euphorbia tirucalli Field Experiment -- Results and Discussion -- Tamarix spp. Collection and Field Experiment -- Euphorbia tirucalli Growth -- Conclusions -- Appendix -- References -- 7: Drone-Based Vegetation Assessment in Arid Ecosystems -- Introduction -- Proving Vegetation Change -- Drones Add Value -- Imaging Desert Vegetation Is New -- Requirements -- Skills -- Aerial Hardware -- Analysis -- Temporal Vegetation Change -- Volume/Height Assessment -- Automated Recognition -- Detecting Vegetation Change -- Phytomass -- Plant Diversity -- Phytomass Within Plant Taxa -- Conclusion -- References -- 8: Salt-Induced Changes in Growth and Damage Avoidance Mechanisms of Hydroponically Grown Chinese Kale (Brassica alboglabra L.) -- Introduction -- Materials and Methods -- Planting Materials and Growth Conditions -- Salt Stress Treatment -- Collecting Samples -- Determination of Relative WaterContent. , Determination of ChlorophyllFluorescence -- Determination of Photosynthetic Pigments -- Determination of Proline -- Determination of Hydrogen Peroxide and Lipid Peroxidation -- Extraction for Protein and Enzyme Assays -- Assay of Protein and Antioxidant Enzymes -- Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis -- Results -- Plant Growth -- Relative Water Content -- Chlorophyll Fluorescence -- Photosynthetic Pigments -- Proline, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Lipid Peroxidation -- Protein and Antioxidant Enzymes -- Discussion -- Conclusions -- References -- 9: Growth Dynamic of Tamarix chinensis Plantations in High Salinity Coastal Land and Its Ecological Effect -- Introduction -- Study Site -- Methods -- Results and Analysis -- Growth Characteristics of Tamarisk -- Changes in Biomass and Carbon Storage of Individual Tamarisk Plants -- Biomass -- Community Carbon Storage -- Soil Salt Content -- Herb Species -- Discussion -- Tamarisk Growth, Biomass, and Community Carbon Storage -- Changes in Tamarisk Community Species Diversity -- The Effect of Tamarisk on Soil Salinity -- Conclusions -- References -- 10: Mechanisms of Ion Transport in Halophytes: From Roots to Leaves -- Halophytes: A General Introduction -- Basics of Ion Transport in Plants -- Methods to Measure Ion Fluxes -- Mechanisms of Ion Transport -- Pathways for Ion Transport Through Membranes -- Ion Channels and Ion Transporters in More Detail -- Ion Concentrations in Cells -- Ion Transport in Halophytes -- Ionic Environment Encountered by Halophytes with a Special Attention to Seawater -- Ion Concentrations and Membrane Potential -- Ion Concentrations in Halophytes in Comparison to Glycophytes -- Membrane Potentials in Halophytes in Comparison to Glycophytes -- Comparable Pairs of Halophytes and Glycophytes -- Sodium Uptake in Halophytes -- Comparable Ion Transport Systems. , Crucial Points for Sodium Transport in Halophytes -- Problems and Knowns-Unknowns -- References -- 11: Interpretations of Holocene Carbonate-Evaporites of Coastal and Inland Sabkhas of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) from Landsat Satellite Images and Field Survey -- Introduction -- Geologic Setting -- Climatic and Hydrographic Controls -- Holocene S.W. Arabian Gulf Offshore, Coastal Complex, and Barrier Islands -- Introduction -- Macrotidal Coast of Barrier Islands and Tidal Deltas -- Macrotidal Restricted Lagoons -- Coastal Terraces -- Mangrove Distribution -- Cyanobacterial Mats and Coastal Sabkhas -- Coastal Mainland Sabkha -- Inland Sabkha Interpretation -- Conclusions -- References -- 12: Climate Change Impacts on Salt Marsh Vegetation Ecophysiology -- Introduction -- Sea Level Rise -- Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Increase -- Altered Thermal Environments -- Overview of the Impacts of Climate Change on Halophitic Vegetation -- References -- 13: Morphology and Betalain Characterization of 'Iceplants' (Aizoaceae) from the Coast of Wellington, New Zealand -- Introduction -- Materials and Methods -- Study Sites -- Species Descriptions -- Collection of Specimens -- Morphological Characterization and Microscopic Observations -- Characterization of Betalains -- Spectrophotometric Analyses -- HPLC Characterization -- Data Analysis -- Results -- Habitat Preferences and Morphological Characteristics of the Selected Iceplants -- Tissue Distribution of Betalains -- Quantification of Betalains -- Characterization of Betalains -- Discussion and Conclusion -- References -- 14: Salt Tolerance and Potential Uses for Saline Agriculture of Halophytes from the Poaceae -- Introduction -- Salinity Tolerance -- Salinity Effects on Growth, Photosynthesis, and Antioxidant Systems -- Salinity Effects on OsmoticAdjustment -- Salinity Effects on Ions Homeostasis. , Halophytes of Poaceae for Economic Uses -- Forage Halophytes -- Medicinal Halophytes -- Halophytes Used in Soil Management and Phytoremediation -- Other Uses of Halophytes of Poaceae -- Conclusion -- References -- 15: Phenotyping Through Infrared Thermography in Stress Environment -- Introduction -- Basis of IR Images -- IR Thermography of Transgenic Plants Under Drought Stress -- Measurement of Leaf Temperature Using FLIR Software -- IR Thermography for Phenotyping of Salt Tolerance -- Conclusions -- References -- 16: The Mangroves of Myanmar -- Introduction -- Distribution and Trends -- Ayeyarwady Division -- Rakhine State -- Tanintharyi Region -- Decline in Mangrove Quality -- Mangroves as Habitats -- Plants and Vegetation -- Animal Biodiversity -- Fish, Crustaceans and other Invertebartes -- Mangrove Ecosystem Services -- Causes of Mangrove Forest Degradation -- Over-exploitation of Firewood and Charcoal Production -- Aquaculture Development -- Coastal Development -- Plastic and Fishing Nets -- Mangrove Protection and Restoration -- Protected Areas -- Meinmahla Kyun -- Lampi Marine National Park -- Ramsar Sites -- UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserves -- Restoration -- References -- 17: Potentially Domesticable Chenopodiaceae Halophytes of Iran -- Introduction -- Forage and Fodder Production in Iran -- Distribution of Chenopodiaceae Family in Iran -- Chenopodiaceae Family Cultivation in Iran -- Selection Criteria of Forage Halophyte Species -- Seed Germination and Establishment Under Saline Condition -- Native Chenopodiaceae for Farming with Hypersaline Water as Forage Crop -- Chenopods' Forage Quality -- Other Utilizations of Chenopodiaceae Family -- References -- 18: Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria Associated to the Halophyte Suaeda maritima (L.) in Abbas, Iran -- Introduction -- Materials and Methods -- Sample Collections. , Isolation of Endemic Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria from Roots and Soil.

Note: Intro -- Sabkha Ecosystems -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Disclaimer -- Sabkha Regions of Tropical East Africa -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Inland Sabkhat -- 2.1 Saline Sabkhat -- 2.2 Vegetation -- 2.3 Alkaline Sabkhat -- 3 Coastal Sabkhat -- 3.1 Vegetation -- 4 Utilisation and Economic Importance -- 5 Conservation and Designated Protected Areas -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- A Review of Fauna and Flora Associated with Coastal and Inland Saline Flats from Namibia with Special Reference to the Etosha -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Etosha Pan -- 1.2 Coastal Flats -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results and Discussion -- 3.1 Fauna -- 3.1.1 Etosha Pan -- 3.1.1.1 Mammals -- 3.1.1.2  Birds -- 3.1.1.3   Herpetofauna -- 3.1.1.4  Fish -- 3.1.2 Coastal Saline Flats -- 3.1.2.1 Mammals -- 3.1.2.2  Birds -- 3.1.2.3  Herpetofauna -- 3.1.2.4 Fish -- 3.2 Flora -- 3.2.1 Etosha Pan -- 3.2.2 Coastal Saline Flats -- 4 Conclusion -- References -- Introducing the Namib Desert Playas -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Results -- 2.1 The Silver Lake Playas -- 2.2 The Welwitschia Flats Playas -- 2.3 The Okahandja Lineament Playas -- 2.4 Water Chemistry -- 3 Discussion -- 4 Conclusion -- References -- Quantitative Eolian Transport of Evaporite Salts from the Makgadikgadi Depression (Ntwetwe and Sua Pans) in Northeastern Bots -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Hydrogeology -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Conclusions -- References -- Palaeo-Ecological Aspects of Farafra Oasis (Egyptian Sabkha) During the Mid-Neolithic Period (7130-6190 BP): A Multivariate Ana -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Palaeo-Economic Interpretations -- 6 Conclusions and Recommendations -- References -- Overview of Halophytic Plants of the Sudanese Red Sea Salt Marsh -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Study Area -- 2.1 Red Sea State -- 2.1.1 Basic data -- 3 Objectives -- 4 Literature Review. , 5 Methodology -- 6 Results -- 6.1 Floristic Composition -- 7 Potential Threats -- 8 Discussion -- 9 Managerial Aspects -- 10 Conclusions -- References -- A General Assessment of Marine Turtle Nesting Activity on the Libyan Saline Coast -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Material and Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- References -- Current Challenges and Future Opportunities for a Sustainable Utilization of Halophytes -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Soil Bioremediation by Desalination-Efficient Halophytes -- 3 Heavy Metal Phytoextraction -- 4 Halophytes for Livestock Production -- 5 Halophytes for Oil Production -- 6 Halophytes with Medicinal Potential and for Cosmetics -- 7 Agroforestry Ecwosystems and Carbon Sequestration -- 8 Conclusions and Perspectives -- References -- The Salt Marsh (Sabkha) in the Western Part of Libya -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Material and Methods -- 2.1 Study Area -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- Halophyte-Fodder Species Association May Improve Nutrient Availability and Biomass Production of the Sabkha Ecosystem -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Material and Methods -- 2.1 Experimental Site and Sampling Periods -- 2.2 Plant Sampling Method -- 2.3 Soil Sampling Method -- 2.4 Mineral Elements -- 2.5 Statistical Analysis -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Vegetation Inventory -- 3.2 Soil Salinity -- 3.3 Soil Fertility -- 3.4 Ecosystem Productivity -- 3.5 Nutrient Uptake -- 3.6 Na+ Accumulation -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- Potential Role of Salt Marshes in the Sabkhas of Egypt -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Salt Marshes in Egypt -- 3 Salt Marshes as Potential Habitats -- 4 Prospects of Halophytes as Animal Feeds -- References -- Halophyte plant diversity, coastal habitat types and their conservation status in Cyprus -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Geology, Hydrology, Soils and Climate -- 3 Plant Diversity. , 4 Endemic, Rare and Threatened Plants of Cyprus -- 5 Conclusion -- References -- Salt-Affected Soils and Their Native Vegetation in Hungary -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Environmental Conditions in Hungary -- 3 Meteorological Conditions -- 4 Hydrological Conditions -- 5 Soil Conditions -- 6 Groundwater Conditions -- 7 The Formation of the SAS of Hungary -- 8 Classification of Hungarian Salt-Affected Soils -- 9 Solonchak Soils (Total Area 47 km2) -- 10 Solonchak-Solonetz Soils (Total Area 659 km2) -- 11 Meadow Solonetz Soils (Total Area 2,749 km2) -- 12 Deep Mollic Solonetz (Total Area 2,122 km2) -- 13 Secondary Salt-Affected Soil (Not Distinguished on the Agrotopo Database as Polygons) -- 14 The Utilization of SAS in Hungary -- 15 Information Available on the Spatial Extent of SAS -- 16 Agrotopo Map Database -- 16.1 The 1:25,000 Soil Information System (Kreybig Digital Soil Information System) -- 16.2 Genetic Soil Maps of 1:10,000 Scale -- 17 Exemplary Data of Hungarian Salt-Affected Soils -- 18 Vegetation of Saline and Sodic Areas -- 19 Example of the Soil and Vegetation Conditions in Two Characteristic Kiskunság Sites -- 20 Utilization of Halophytes in Hungary -- References -- Halophytes in Republic of Macedonia -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Genesis and Classification of Saline Soils -- 3 Plant Diversity of Saline Soils -- 4 Conclusion -- References -- Low-Cost Mapping of Sabkha-Ecosystems Using Satellite Imagery: An Example from SE Qatar -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Geoengine: Data Acquisition -- 3 Geographical Aspects of the Study Area -- 4 Methods -- 5 Conclusion -- References -- Index.

Note: Intro -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Contributors -- Disclaimer -- Introduction -- Spatial Distribution of Soil Salinity and Management Aspects in the Northern United Arab Emirates -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 UAE and the Dry Land Systems -- 1.2 The Study Area -- 1.3 Agriculture and Farms in the NE -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 Processing of Remote Sensing Imagery -- 2.2 Fieldwork and Data Collection -- 2.3 Converting Point Data into a Generalized Map -- 3 Results and Discussion -- 3.1 Delineation of Surface Salinity -- 3.2 Classification of Saline Soils in the Coastal Sabkha of the NE -- 3.2.1 Aquisalids -- 3.2.2 Haplosalids -- 3.3 Micromorphological Views of Saline Soils in the NE -- 3.4 Soil Salinity Map -- 3.5 Extent and Spatial Distribution of Soil Salinity -- 3.6 Management of Farm Salinity Through Assessment of Water Salinities -- 3.7 Prediction of Soil Salinity Management in Agricultural Farms -- 3.8 Water Quality, Crop Water Requirement and Drainage Water in Saline Production Systems - Serious Concerns -- 4 Conclusion and Recommendations -- References -- Gypsum Crystals Formation and Habits, Umm Said Sabkha, Qatar -- 1 Introduction -- 2 General Setting of the Studied Area -- 3 Tidal Regime -- 4 Methodology -- 4.1 Sample Collection -- 4.2 Hand Specimen and Binocular Microscopic Study -- 4.3 Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) -- 4.4 Smear Slides and Thin Sections Study -- 4.5 Analyses of Brine -- 5 Result of the Study -- 5.1 Field Study -- 5.2 Laboratory Study -- 5.2.1 Sediments Samples -- 5.2.2 Gypsum Crystallography -- 5.2.3 Brine Chemistry -- 6 Discussion -- 6.1 Sediment Samples -- 6.2 Brine Chemistry -- 7 Conclusion -- 8 Recommendations -- References -- Distribution, Ecology and Ecophysiology of Mangroves in Pakistan -- 1 Introduction. , 2 Distribution and Extent of Mangrove Forests -- 3 Mangrove Ecology -- 4 Mangrove Ecophysiology -- 4.1 Growth -- 4.2 Relative Salt Tolerance -- 4.3 Water Relations and Gas Exchange -- 4.4 Ionic and Osmotic Relations -- 5 Conclusions -- 6 Future Prospects -- References -- Halophytes for the Production of Liquid Biofuels -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Oils -- 2.1 Biodiesel -- 2.2 Bio-derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPK) -- 2.3 Residue Biomass -- 3 Materials and Methods -- 4 Results -- 4.1 Halophyte Compositional Analysis -- 4.2 Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis -- 5 Discussion and Conclusions -- References -- Feasibility of Halophyte Domestication for High-Salinity Agriculture -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Halophyte Productivity -- 3 Sustainability of High- Salinity Agriculture -- 4 Considerations for Domestication -- 4.1 Basic Considerations -- 4.2 Domestication Syndrome -- 4.3 Development of Crop- Appropriate Production Regimes -- 4.4 Plant Breeding -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- The Gypsum Dunes of Cuatrociénegas Valley, Mexico - A Secondary Sabkha Ecosystem with Gypsophytes -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Soils with Gypsophytic Vegetation -- 2 The Valley of Cuatrociénegas and its Gypsum Dunes -- 3 Origin of the Cuatrociénegas Dunes Ecosystems -- 3.1 The Habitat - Geological Evolution of the Dunes of Cuatrociénegas -- 3.2 The Vegetation of the Dunes of Cuatrociénegas -- 4 Conclusion -- References -- Effects of Seed Storage on Germination of Desert Halophytes with Transient Seed Bank -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Effect of Storage Period and Storage Condition -- 3.1.1 Effect on Final Germination -- 3.1.2 Effect on Germination Rate -- 3.2 Effects of Storage Condition and Temperature of Incubation -- 3.2.1 Effect on Final Germination -- 3.2.2 Effect on Germination Rate. , 4 Discussion -- References -- Halophytes of Southwest Asia -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Geographical Scope -- 1.2 What Are Halophytes -- 2 Distribution and Biogeography of the SW Asia Halophytic Flora -- 2.1 Turkey -- 2.2 The Arabian Peninsula -- 2.3 Iran -- 2.4 Afghanistan -- 2.5 Iraq -- 2.6 Pakistan -- 3 Economic Uses -- Appendix: A Preliminary List of the Halophytes of SW Asia -- References -- From Halophyte Research to Halophytes Farming -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Halophyte-Glycophyte Associations: The Evidence for Highly Productive Agriculture -- 3 Which Kinds of Halophytes Should the Farmers Recognize? -- 4 Requirements of Halophytes -- 4.1 Halophytes and Climates -- 4.2 Halophytes and Soils -- 4.3 Halophytes and Water Resources -- 4.4 Halophytes and Fertilizer -- 5 Where Can Halophytes Be Grown? -- 6 Production of Halophytes as Compared to Conventional Crops -- 7 Halophytes and Modern Technologies -- 7.1 Use of Plant Biotechnology Methods -- 7.2 Micropropagation -- 8 Concluding Remarks -- References -- Interactive Effect of Salinity and Drought on the Germination of Dimorphic Seeds of Suaeda salsa -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- Kochia (Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad) Unwanted or Wanted Plant for Forage Production in Harsh Environments -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Botany -- 3 Reproduction -- 4 Ecology of Kochia -- 4.1 Soil Condition -- 4.2 Temperature -- 5 Water Requirement (Quantitatively and Qualitatively) -- 5.1 Disease -- 6 Cultivation Practices -- 6.1 Seeding Density and Depth -- 7 Special Characteristics of Kochia -- 7.1 Drought Tolerance -- 7.2 Salt Tolerance -- 7.3 Rooting Habit -- 7.4 C4 Photosynthetic Pathway -- 7.5 Autoallelopathy -- 7.6 Insect Resistance -- 7.7 Other Characteristics -- 8 Ions Accumulation of Kochia. , 9 Water Use Efficiency and Water Productivity -- 10 Possible Utilization of Kochia -- 10.1 Hay Production -- 10.1.1 Forage Quality of Kochia -- 10.2 High Protein Seed Crop -- 10.3 Phytoremediation -- 10.4 Edible Oil Crop -- 10.5 Potential Use of Kochia as Biofuel -- References -- Importance of the Diversity within the Halophytes to Agriculture and Land Management in Arid and Semiarid Countries -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Glycophytic Land Plants and Hyperosmotic Salinity -- 2.1 Primary Stress Factors -- 2.2 The Influence of Drought on Photosynthesis -- 2.3 Nondestructive Buffer Capacity of the Plant Against Oxidative Stress -- 2.4 Enzymatic and Non-enzymatic Defense Against Oxidative Stress -- 3 Xerophytes and Halophytes -- 4 Development of Specific Traits -- 5 Utilization of Halophyte Crops for Transferring Resistant Traits in Glycophyte Crops via Breeding -- 5.1 Breeding for Salt Resistance in Glycophytes -- 5.2 The Potential of Halophyte Crops -- 5.3 Heterogeneity in within the Halophytes -- 6 Importance of the Diversity of Halophytic gramineaes to Agriculture and Land Management -- 6.1 Combating Desertification and Substitution of Fresh Water Utilization -- 6.2 Intercropping Halophyte Culture -- 6.3 Reduction of the Dilemma Between Feed and Fuel by Halophytes -- 6.4 Ecological Sustainable Ditch Irrigation of Halophytes -- 6.5 Complex Systems of Integrated Farming -- 7 Conclusion -- References -- Is Soil Heterogeneity the Major Factor Influencing Vegetation Zonation at Karachi Coast? -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 Study Site and Species -- 2.2 Soil Analyses -- 2.3 Plant Analyses -- 2.4 Statistical Analyses -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Soil Parameters -- 3.2 Eco-physiological Parameters -- 3.2.1 Leaf Mass Area (LMA), Succulence and Ash -- 3.2.2 Xylem Pressure Potential and Leaf Osmolalities. , 3.2.3 Leaf Chlorophyll and Soluble Sugars -- 3.2.4 Photosynthesis and Water Use Efficiency -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- Research and Development with Seawater and Halophytic Plants for Sustainable Saline Agro Systems in the Arabian Gulf -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Background -- 3 Saline Water Resources -- 4 Sabkha Landforms -- 5 Examples of Sustainable Saline Agro-systems -- 6 Examples of Sustainable Saline Irrigation Systems -- 7 Conclusion -- References -- Salinity Tolerant Turfgrasses for Biosaline Urban Landscape Agriculture -- 1 Water Issues: Nature and Extent of Problem -- 2 Importance and Value of Urban Landscapes -- 3 Salinity Issues in Urban Turfgrass Landscapes -- 3.1 Irrigation Water Salinity Hazard -- 3.2 Sodium and Bicarbonate Hazard -- 4 Selection for Salinity Tolerance in Turfgrasses -- 4.1 Salinity Tolerance in Turfgrasses -- 4.2 Mechanisms of Salinity Tolerance in Turfgrasses -- References -- Ecology, Distribution and Ecophysiology of Salicornia Europaea L. -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 3 Results and Discussion -- References -- Germination Pre-treatments in Haloxylon persicum (Amaranthaceae), an Economically Important Tree of Desert Ecosystems in Western Asia -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 Scarification Pretreatments and Germination Conditions -- 2.2 Germination Determination -- 2.3 Statistical Analysis -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Effect of Sulfuric Acid Treatments -- 3.2 Effect of Stratification Treatments -- 3.3 Effect of Debracting Treatments -- 3.4 Effect of Leaching Treatments -- 4 Discussion -- References -- Halophytes in the East Mediterranean - Their Medicinal and Other Economical Values -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Study Area -- 3 Halophyte Diversity -- 4 Economically Important Halophytes -- References. , Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Two Salt-Tolerant Atriplex Species That Prevent Erosion in Iranian Deserts.