Question

Roads are sometimes salted in the winter to prevent ice build up. When the ice and snow melt, the water can also carry salt off the road. What would you hypothesize would happen to plants along the roadside?

Answer 1

Answer:

See the answer below

Explanation:

When the salt water resulting from using salt to thaw ice and snow is washed off the road, the nearby plants along the roadside would be subjected to osmotic stress due to the lower water potential of the soil water when compared to that of their cells. Consequently, the plants are expected to lose water to the surrounding salt solution until an equilibrium is established between their cytosols and the soil solution.