Thylakoid Electron Transfer in Salicornia veneta under Different Salinity Levels: a Fluorescence-based Study

The halophyte Arthrocnemum macrostachyum is able to survive in extreme environments where salt concentrations may rise to 1M NaCl. Here we report the results of a study in which the photochemical properties of both photosystem (PS) PSII and PSI have been investigated in individuals living in their natural environment (Sacca di Bellocchio, Prato Zangheri, Ravenna, Italy) by using Dual-PAM and fast fluorescence techniques. Results from quenching analysis (for both photosystems) and fluorescence decay in the sub-millisecond range (for PSII) are reported and discussed in terms of adaptation mechanism(s) of these plants to this extreme environmen