Comparative study on the effects of NaCl on selected moss and fern representatives

Abstract

Salt demonstrates various osmotic and ionic effects on vascular plant growth, development and function, but very few data can be found on how salt affects non-tracheophytes. To explore this, gametophytes of two moss Bryum argenteum Hedw. and Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv., and three fern species Asplenium viride Britton, Ceterach officinarum DC, and Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newman, were treated for 3 days with different NaCl concentrations in growth medium under in vitro controlled conditions. Subsequently, these plants recovered for 18 days on NaCl-free medium, after which the following parameters were measured for mosses: presence of secondary protonema and shoots, protonemal radius and index of multiplication. Survival, chlorophyll a, b, total and a/b ratio were determined as well as total phenolic content, both for ferns and mosses. All species tolerated 50 and 100mM of NaCl-enriched media, quite well. On higher salt concentrations in the substrata, measured morphological parameters and chlorophyll content were reduced. In general, mosses exhibited higher NaCl tolerance than ferns. Change of phenolic content in ferns suggests these plants use antioxidative properties of phenolics as a mechanism of salt tolerance, in contrast with mosses whose phenolic content was stable. © 2011 CSIRO.