Document Type

Honors Thesis

Major

Human Dimensions of Climate Change

Advisor(s)

Cynthia Isenhour

Committee Members

Stephanie Burnett, Jean MacRae

Graduation Year

May, 2025

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Soil salinization is a growing threat to the world’s food supply. This thesis looks at how soil salinization is connected to climate change. Since climate change is accelerating, it is important to investigate how to adapt before the climate impacts get worse. To demonstrate the potential impact of soil salinity on people, this thesis includes a brief case study on the natural and human dimensions of salinization in Bangladesh. The soil salinity threat is predicted to spread, so it is important to know what future victims are up against. Once the problem and its importance are explored, the thesis looks at how people can adapt to these problems both in Bangladesh and beyond. Various adaptation strategies are explored. This thesis looks at one solution in depth, which is switching to salt tolerant plants. It investigates the potential of amaranth, a crop that has been researched for salt tolerance as a vegetable but not researched enough as a salt tolerant grain. Grain amaranth was investigated as to its tolerance to water contaminated with salt (sodium chloride). The relationship between grain yield and salinity was analyzed. Amaranthus hypochondriacus x hybridus ‘Plainsman’ was selected since it is the most commonly grown grain amaranth in the United States and is known for its short stature and quick growth (Amaranth Institute, n.d.). Plants were watered with deionized water mixed with fertilizer. Ten plants got that fertilizer solution, while ten plants got that solution with 70 mM of salt and ten plants got the fertilizer solution with 250 mM of salt. The plants’ height and number of leaves were counted throughout the experiment to track growth. The final shoot mass and seed yield were counted at the end of the experiment. Due to the small sample size, no statistical difference could be detected between the medium salinity level and the control. However, observations showed that even the more moderate amount of salt (70 mM) was enough to affect growth habits and retard root growth. Additionally, 250 mM of salt was enough to stunt and then kill all the plants exposed to it. The results of this study highlight the need for further breeding efforts in order for grain amaranth to help farmers struggling with salinity. This study also demonstrates the importance of understanding how the success of adaptation strategies depends on local social and political context.

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