PubMed · 2026-05-11
Researchers studying salt flat plants in southern Morocco found that extreme salt and alkalinity — not random chance — determine which bacteria live on and around halophytes. Despite harsh differences across sites, the plants consistently hosted a shared core set of salt-tolerant bacteria.
Bacterial diversity dropped consistently from bulk soil to rhizosphere to roots to shoots, showing a progressive filtering effect as proximity to the plant increased.
Electrical conductivity, sodium, potassium, and carbonate levels were the primary environmental factors structuring which bacteria were present across three sabkha sites.
Despite differences in site and plant species, a stable 'halophilic core microbiome' of salt-tolerant bacteria converged across all sampled halophytes.