A type of plant that thrives on or requires sandy soil
A psammophyte is a plant that grows in sandy and often unstable soils. Psammophytes are commonly found growing on
beaches,
deserts, and
sand dunes. Because they thrive in these challenging or inhospitable
habitats, psammophytes are considered
extremophiles, and are further classified as a type of
psammophile.
Etymology
The word "psammophyte" consists of two
Greek roots, psamm-, meaning "sand", and -phyte, meaning "plant".[1][2][3] The term "psammophyte" first entered English in the early twentieth century via German botanical terminology.[4]
Description
Psammophytes are found in many different plant families, so may not share specific
morphological or
phytochemical traits. They also come in a variety of plant life-forms, including
annual ephemerals,
perennials,
subshrubs,
hemicryptophytes, and many others.[5][6] What the many diverse psammophytes have in common is a resilience to harsh or rapidly fluctuating environmental factors, such as shifting soils, strong winds, intense sunlight exposure, or saltwater exposure, depending on the habitat.[6][7] Psammophytes often have specialized traits, such as unusually tenacious or resilient roots that enable them to anchor and thrive despite various environmental stressors.[8] Those growing in arid regions have evolved highly efficient physiological mechanisms that enable them to survive despite limited water availability.[9][10]
Distribution and habitat
Psammophytes grow in regions all over the world and can be found on sandy, unstable soils of
beaches,
deserts, and
sand dunes.[5][6][7][11][12] In China's autonomous
Inner Mongolia region, psammophytic woodlands are found in steppe habitats.[13]
Ecology
Psammophytes often play an important ecological role by contributing some degree of soil stabilization in their sandy habitats.[14] They can also play an important role in
soil nutrient dynamics.[15] Depending on the factors at play at a given site, psammophyte communities exhibit varying degrees of
species diversity.[16][17][5][12] For example, in the dunes of the
Sahara Desert, psammophyte communities exhibit limited diversity and are predominantly made up of plants from the
grass and
mustard families.[5]
Like many other types of plants, psammophytes can have symbiotic relationships with
microorganisms called
endophytes that live inside of their tissues, which can impart enhanced growth or other benefits.[18]
Conservation
A major threat to psammophytes in many regions is dune destabilization, which is exacerbated by human development projects and factors associated with
climate change, such as drought and temperature increases.[11] Encroachment of non-psammophytic plants and invasive species poses another threat to psammophyte species in some areas.[12][16][19]Ecological restoration efforts in psammophyte habitats often aim to utilize the natural soil stabilizing and nutrient enhancement abilities of psammophytes as part of restoration strategies.[16][15] Another important strategy is restoring and protecting the requisite
soil microbiome some psammophytes require to thrive.[19]
China's Minqin Garden of Desert Plants is one organization that is actively working on efforts to conserve both wild and horticultural psammophyte species.[20]
^
abcdNeto, Carlos; Fonseca, João Paulo; Costa, José Carlos; Bioret, Frédéric (2015-01-02). "Ecology and phytosociology of endangered psammophytic species of the Omphalodes genus in western Europe". Acta Botanica Gallica. 162 (1). Informa UK Limited: 37–54.
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^Jian-Hui, DU; An-Long, LIU; Yu-Xiang, DONG; Mian-You, HU; Jie, LIANG; LI Wei, and (2014). "Architectural characteristics of roots in typical coastal psammophytes of South China". Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology. 38 (8): 889–896.
doi:
10.3724/sp.j.1258.2014.00083.
ISSN1005-264X.
^Liu, Meiling; Zhu, Ruiqing; Zhang, Zhishan; Liu, Lichao; Hui, Rong; Bao, Jingting; Zhang, Hao (2016-03-02). "Water use traits and survival mechanisms of psammophytes in arid ecosystems". Arid Land Research and Management. 30 (2). Informa UK Limited: 166–180.
doi:
10.1080/15324982.2015.1090498.
ISSN1532-4982.
S2CID130013224.
^
abThomas, Kathryn A.; Redsteer, Margaret H. (2016-04-27). "Vegetation of semi-stable rangeland dunes of the Navajo Nation, Southwestern USA". Arid Land Research and Management. 30 (4). Informa UK Limited: 400–411.
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^
abcValcheva, Magdalena; Sopotlieva, Desislava; Meshinev, Tenyo; Apostolova, Iva (2018-09-06). "Is penetration of non-psammophytes an underestimated threat to sand dunes? - a case study from western Pontic coast". Journal of Coastal Conservation. 23 (2). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 271–281.
doi:
10.1007/s11852-018-0656-3.
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S2CID134078826.
^Cui, Haiting; Liu, Hongyan; Yong, Shipeng (2009). "Psammophytic woodlands of the steppe zone in Inner Mongolia". Contemporary Problems of Ecology. 2 (4). Pleiades Publishing Ltd: 348–352.
doi:
10.1134/s1995425509040080.
ISSN1995-4255.
S2CID9173750.
^Symonides, E. (1985). "Population Structure of Psammophyte Vegetation". The Population Structure of Vegetation. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. pp. 265–291.
doi:
10.1007/978-94-009-5500-4_12.
ISBN978-94-010-8927-2.
^
abNing, Zhiying; Zhao, Xueyong; Li, Yulin; Wang, Lilong; Lian, Jie; Yang, Hongling; Li, Yuqiang (2021). "Plant community C:N:P stoichiometry is mediated by soil nutrients and plant functional groups during grassland desertification". Ecological Engineering. 162. Elsevier BV: 106179.
doi:
10.1016/j.ecoleng.2021.106179.
ISSN0925-8574.
S2CID233532891.
^
abcMartínez, M. Luisa; Hesp, Patrick A.; Gallego-Fernández, Juan B. (2013). "Coastal Dune Restoration: Trends and Perspectives". Restoration of Coastal Dunes. Springer Series on Environmental Management. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 323–339.
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10.1007/978-3-642-33445-0_20.
ISBN978-3-642-33444-3.
ISSN0172-6161.
^Liu, Zhimin; Li, Xiaolan; Yan, Qiaoling; Wu, Jianguo (2007). "Species richness and vegetation pattern in interdune lowlands of an active dune field in Inner Mongolia, China". Biological Conservation. 140 (1–2). Elsevier BV: 29–39.
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^Zhu, Yanlei; She, Xiaoping (2018). "Evaluation of the plant-growth-promoting abilities of endophytic bacteria from the psammophyte Ammodendron bifolium". Canadian Journal of Microbiology. 64 (4). Canadian Science Publishing: 253–264.
doi:
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PMID29370531.
^Lemauviel, Servane; Gallet, Sébastien; Rozé, Françoise (2003). "Sustainable management of fixed dunes: example of a pilot site in Brittany (France)". Comptes Rendus Biologies. 326. Elsevier BV: 183–191.
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^Marshall, John (1968). "Factors Limiting the Survival of Corynephorus canescens (L.) Beauv. in Great Britain at the Northern Edge of Its Distribution". Oikos. 19 (2): 206–216.
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