Plant Communities of Saline Soils at Lincoln, Nebraska

The plant communities and their relationships to saline soils are described. A relationship is shown between an increase in salinity and decrease in cover of several species. Field observations indicate that the species which tolerate the highest salinities are capable of growing normally in low to nonsaline environments. This study area represents the southernmost extension of a stable Salicornia rubra community in the prairie region of the United States. A theory of tolerance to extreme environments is presented.