The functioning of important ecosystems, including high productivity seagrass beds, coral reefs, macro-algal reefs, mangroves, salt-marshes, needs to be balanced, and, in many cases, adverse trends need to be reversed, repaired, and offset. One of many solutions that is needed to achieve the below SDGs is the utilization of saline water and soil for the research, conservation and development of halophyte ecosystems.

The scientific documentation-initiated and supported by UNESCO- provides information, data, conclusions, recommendations, answers and inspiration to two main questions:

• How to use of the vast volume of saline waters, areas of saline soils, and the halophytes, without competing against agricultural lands, in support of food-security, clean-energy, jobs and economic growth?

• What halophyte-biodiversity aspects need to be considered for ecosystem development, nature restoration and climate action?

  It is time to apply someof the innovations demonstrated in the previous volumes in the Tasks for Vegetation Science book series, to turn from experiments to long-term pilot studies. This is necessary in order to obtain solid scientific data for large-scale applications. Studying halophyte and sabkha ecosystems will contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Zero Hunger, Clean Water, Clean Energy, Climate Action, Economic Growth, Sustainable Communities and Biodiversity on land and below water.

  This book is the sixth and final volume in the Tasks for Vegetation Science book series, and it concludes the most comprehensive scientific documentation dealing with hypersaline ecosystems of the world.

  Zusammenfassung

This book is the sixth and final volume in the Tasks for Vegetation Science book series, and it concludes the most comprehensive scientific documentation dealing with hypersaline ecosystems of the world.

Inhalt

1. Halophyte Research, Conservation & Development - The role of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Asia/Pacific
   
   2. Evidence for the role of salinity and alkalinity in plant diversification in Australia
   3. Aspects of the Abu Dhabi Sabkha
      4.Comparative seed germination ecology of sabkha and playa halophytes of Pakistan
   4. Plants of sabkha ecosystems of the Arabian Peninsula
   5. Desert Halophytes: Alleviating the Pressure on the Scarce Resources of Arable Soil and Fresh Water
   6. Drone-based vegetation assessment in arid ecosystems
      8.Salt-induced Changes in Growth and Damage-avoidance-mechanisms of Hydroponically Grown Chinese Kale (Brassica alboglabra L.)
   7. Growth dynamic of Tamarix chinensis plantations in coastal heavy saline land and its ecological effect
   8. Mechanisms of ion transport in halophytes, from roots to leaves
   9. Interpretation of Holocene Carbonate-Evaporites of Coastal and Inland Sabkhas of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) Using Landsat Satellite Images and Field Survey
   10. Climate change impacts on salt marsh vegetation ecophysiology
   11. Morphology and betalain characterization of 'ice plants' (Aizoaceae) from the coast of Wellington, New Zealand
   12. Salt-tolerance and potential uses for saline agriculture of halophytes from the Poaceae
   13. Phenotyping through Infra-Red Thermography in stress environment
   14. The Mangroves of Myanmar
   15. Potentially domesticable chenopodiacea halophytes of Iran
   16. Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria associated to the halophyte Suaeda maritima (L.) in Abbas, Iran
   17. Quinoa: A new crop for harsh environments
   18. Difference in antioxidant defense system between the halophytes and glycophytes to overcome the salinity stress
   19. Diversity and distribution of salt-tolerant plants of the United Arab Emirates: perspectives for sustainable utilization and future research
   20. Framework for rapid evaluation of a mangrove restoration site: A case study from Indian Sundarban
   21. Mangrove Biogeography of the Indo-Pacific
   22. Short Communications Suggestions for Improving Science Communication for Halophyte Conservation, Research and Development
   23. Ligno-cellulosic biomass from sabkha native vegetation: a new potential source for fiber-based bioenergy production
   24. The Floristical, Ecological and Syntaxonomical Characteristics of Salt Marshes and Salt Steppes of Turkey
   25. Temporal variations in water and ion relations of coastal halophytes
   26. Mangrove Cover, Biodiversity and Carbon Storage of Mangrove Forests in Thailand
   27. Pollen morphology of the genus Tamarix in Israel
   28. Species distribution in different ecological zones and conservation strategy of Halophytes of Sundarbans Mangrove Forest of Bangladesh
   29. Cash Crop Holophytes of China
   30. Sabkha Ecosystems Vol VI - Asia Pacific: Summarizing the Story