In dry desert areas poor drainage can lead to a buildup of salt in water supplies. A student performed an investigation to study
the effects of salinity on the germination rates of seeds. The student placed seeds in several solutions containing 0% to 3% salt. The length of the radicle, which is the root of the germinating seed, ranged from 49 mm in the 0% salt solution to 0 mm in the 3% salt solution. The data from this investigation suggest that increased salinity in more areas may lead to a decrease in which of the following? A. air pollution
B. food production
C. oceanic evaporation
D. nonrenewable resource
In the example above described, salinity conditions (3%) completely prevented radicle development (0 mm). Salinity conditions may alter plant development by inhibiting the uptake of nitrogen, and by limiting water intake. Moreover, it has been shown that the excessive accumulation of chloride ions in plant cells may have toxic effects on plant growth, causing ionic stress and thus leading to nutrient deficiency.
