Plant Ecology and Evolution 151 (2): 175–184, 2018 https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2018.1370 Edaphic characterization of coastal Western Mediterranean Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) Leonardo Llorens 1,* , Lorenzo Gil 1 & Herminio Boira 2 1 Department of Biology (Botany), University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Carretera de Valldemossa Km. 7,5, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain 2 Mediterranean Agroforestal Institute, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Camino de Vera 14, E-46022 Valencia, Spain *Author for correspondence: lleonard.llorens@uib.es INTRODUCTION Spatio-temporal gradients of soil salinity and water de- termine zonation and distribution of plant taxa of coastal vegetation, and habitats of salt marsh and endoreic basins (Chapman 1974, Álvarez-Rogel et al. 2000, St. Omer 2004). In addition, topography determines distribution of levels salt concentration and, accordingly, plant zoning in these areas (Chapman 1976, van Wijnen et al. 1997, Bockelmann et al. 2002), particularly in Mediterranean ecosystems (Álvarez- Rogel et al. 2001, Costa et al. 2003, Acosta et al. 2007). In forests and other landscapes, the successive stages of colonization (like soil evolution) allow the incorporation of new species that replace the original vegetation. Succes- sion of species defnes a vegetation series that leads to a fnal stable community – climax vegetation – with higher levels of resource optimization (Clements 1916, Braun-Blanquet 1964, Odum 1983). This proposed scheme of dynamic veg- etation is consistent when limiting factors of plant develop- ment are linked to climatic conditions (climatophilous veg- etation). However, over long periods of time, in salt marshes and saline habitats in general, the vegetation succession, as in other types of edaphic vegetation (as sand dunes, aquatic and marsh vegetation), does not always follow the climatic pattern, since the succession is preferably linked to the phys- ical-chemical characteristics of soil (Redfeld 1972, Beeftink 1977, Adam 1990). The defnition of halophile plants as taxa that can toler- ate up to 200 mM NaCl (Flowers & Colmer 2008) is applied to most species colonizing salt marshes where NaCl from sea water is the principal salt component. Moreover, inter- tidal periods induce variations in water levels, which can even reach dryness. The life cycle of halophytes is generally linked to a progressive limitation of plant development de- rived from physiological limitations. Among other efects, salinity causes a reduction in growth parameters (Naqvi et al. 1997), a decrease in potassium absorption (Girija et al. 2002), stomatal conductance or CO 2 assimilation (Fernán- All rights reserved. © 2018 Meise Botanic Garden and Royal Botanical Society of Belgium ISSN: 2032-3913 (print) – 2032-3921 (online) REGULAR PAPER Introduction – Edaphic factors infuence the structure and composition of plant communities. The main objective is to identify soil properties associated with the presence of diferent Limonium species. Methods – We conducted a systematic phytocoenological and edaphic survey over 37 locations across the Balearic archipelago. Canonical Correspondence Analysis was applied to the physicochemical characteristics of soils in which 29 species of Limonium grow. Results – The distribution of Limonium species has a high correlation to specifc edaphic factors. The species can be clustered into four major groups. The frst group represents species with a high edaphic selectivity – soils characterized by having a high proportion of sand, SO 4 2- and Ca 2+ . The second group is composed of species with high levels of SAR, OM and SO 4 2- /Cl - ratio. The third group includes species present in soils with a loamy texture, low Ca 2+ /Mg 2+ ratio and high levels of CO 3 2- and Mg 2+ . The fourth group includes plants which colonize soils that have a sandy texture, low salinity and high proportion of CO 3 2- . Conclusions – A strong correlation between the distribution of Limonium species and soil characteristics exist. The study contributes to the establishment of foundations for habitat conservation, cultivation and recovery projects for endangered species of Limonium. Key words – Limonium, soil characterization, sulphates, saline habitats, conservation.