Ecophysiological responses to drought and salinity in the cosmopolitan invader Nicotiana glauca

Nicotiana glauca, a shrub native to southern South America, is widely distributed in the Americas, from Patagonia to the USA, from zero up to 3,700 m; it rapidly invades disturbed environments. In Venezuela, it has been reported from zero up to 2,000 m growing in contrasting conditions of relative humidity, temperature, rainfall, and salinity. In order to gain insight into the extent and mode of resistance to drought and salinity in N. glauca, we studied the effect of these factors on water relations and photosynthesis under both natural and greenhouse conditions. In the field, water potential...