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The effects of temperature, NaCl, and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 on the seed germination of five non-halophytic Chinese desert shrub species were investigated. The minimum temperature of germination was 10 degreesC for all species, and the maximum temperature varied among species from 25 to 35 degreesC. Isotonic solutions of NaCl and PEG caused different effects on seed germination in all five species. When seeds were moistened with --5.0 MPa NaCl solution for 5 days, the seeds of three species completely lost their germinability, while the seed germinability of the other two species was much less affected. These results are discussed with regard to the rehabilitation of desertified lands in China by seed dispersal. (C) 2001 Academic Press.