Hoplitis bees of the Palaearctic subgenus Stenosmia (Megachilidae) inhabit deserts and semideserts between southern Spain and eastern Asia. They nest in excavated burrows in the soil and collect pollen from plant taxa that typically grow in desert areas, such as Frankenia (Frankeniaceae), Peganum (Nitrariaceae), Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) or Zygophyllum (Zygophyllaceae). The taxonomic revision of t...

We describe a hitherto unrecognized bacterial community, inhabiting the leaf surfaces of the salt-excreting desert tree Tamarix. High temperatures, strong radiation, and very low humidity dictate a daytime existence in complete desiccation, but damp nights allow the microbial population to proliferate in a sugar-rich, alkaline, and hypersaline solution, before drying up again after sunrise. The...

Research by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) on biological control of weeds has been practiced for many years because of its inherent ecological and economic advantages. Today, it is further driven by ARS adherence to Presidential Executive Order 13112 (3 February 1999) on invasive species and to USDA-ARS policy toward developing technology in support of sustainable agriculture with...

Plants have a large capacity to transfer water from soil to the atmosphere. Soluble contaminants may be carried with that water, with a relative extent of transfer that depends on their octanol-water or organic matter-water partition coefficient. We measured the transfer rate for several solvents that vary in volatility and solubility, including trichloro ethylene, trichloroethane, chloroform, ...

The saline character of water imposes restrictions on plant growth and survival in the Taklamakan Desert, China. Experiments were conducted woody species, Tamarix ramosissima, Populus euphratica, Haloxylon ammodendron grown under different levels salinity to elucidate their adaptation a environment. H. accumulated large amounts Na+ Cl- leaves. P. euphratica restricted redundant transport shoots...

Free radicals alter DNA, resulting in various chronic disorders, including cancer. Herbal therapy has a significant potential to block cancer progression and other diseases. The Tamarix aphylla plays an essential role the modulation of free radicals. Calotropis procera (leaves), tropical medicinal plant, shown protective effects against progression. We have examined antioxidant separate or comb...

Seasonal changes in antioxidant enzymes activities, amount of water, ash, proline and soluble sugars were surveyed during this research in four halophyte species of Varamin County, Tehran, Iran: Salsola turcomanica Litwin, Suaeda arcuata Bunge, Tamarix leptopetala Bunge and Cressa cretica L. Plants were collected randomly from their natural habitats in spring and summer. Activity of these enzym...