Survival of selected desert shrubs under dry soil conditions

Four desert plants species were grown in plexiglass cylinders in which thermocouple psychrometers were placed so that soil moisture potential could be measured. After establishment the plants were allowed to extract the soil moisture to -60 bars. Different samples of each were then irrigated at different time intervals to measure recovery characteristics. Partial wilting of each occurred at much lower soil moisture potentials than agricultural crops and each recovered in varying degrees for irrigation 8 to 10 days after reaching the point of -60 bars soil moisture potential. These studies of drought resistant species help understand some responses of other plants to soil moisture variations.