Front Plant Sci. 2026 Jun 10;17:1810933. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2026.1810933. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Restored estuarine floodplains with an artificially controlled reduced tide (CRT) are dynamic areas created for flood protection whilst also providing habitats for estuarine wildlife. However, the reintroduction of the tide poses stressors, including salinity and waterlogged soils because of periodic flooding, on established vegetation such as English oak (Quercus robur). Therefore, newly opened CRT areas give the opportunity of studying the effects of flooding, salinity, and drainage, on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations in plants, as a proxy for stress.
METHODS: This was done on English oak samples retrieved from both field and mesocosm settings using commercially available peroxide assay kits.
RESULTS: Our results indicated that H2O2 concentrations measured in the field were affected by the time of sampling, while concentrations in the mesocosm were influenced by soil type. Flooding and salinity did not show detectable effects on H₂O₂ concentrations, either individually or in combination with soil type, within the scope of our experimental design, which had constrained statistical power to detect subtle effects. Additionally, our results did not correspond with the deterioration and mortality of English oak observed in the field and mesocosm experiments, indicating limited suitability of H₂O₂ as a standalone indicator of physiological stress under these conditions.
DISCUSSION: Overall, we recommend that future studies include a broader range of indicators to assess the tree stress responses in dynamic CRT environments.
PMID:42359418 | PMC:PMC13290460 | DOI:10.3389/fpls.2026.1810933
