Salt spray mainly originates from the bursting of bubbles in breaking waves and is often considered as one of the dominant factors contributing to vegetation zonation in coastal dunes. In this paper, the literature on salt spray distribution and impact on dune plants are reviewed. Salt spray distribution is greatly affected by wave energy, wind conditions, distance from the coast, topography, vegetation, precipitation, and sand/soil properties. The amount of salt accumulation and trapping efficiency of the vegetative canopy are largely dependent on the plant characteristics such as architecture and leaf morphology. Salt concentrations in sand mainly vary with soil texture. Salt spray has negative impacts on plant growth and can cause water stress, promote tissue necrosis and leaf loss, reduce stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, photosynthesis, affect assimilates, or hormone supply to the growing organs. Damage to plants is increased by sand and wind abrasion and insect damage on leaves. High humidity, dew formation, light drizzle, and fog increase the rates of salt uptake by plant leaves. Plant seedlings and reproductive organs are more significantly affected by salt spray compared with mature plants and plant leaves respectively. Salt spray can also provide nutrition to plants particularly in coastal dunes with lower soil nutrition and salt accumulation rates. Species near the sea often show phenological, morphological, and physiological adaptations to salt spray including dormant times/seasons, low heights, compacted and asymmetrical canopies, unique leaf morphologies and/or orientations, dense hairs, rigid cuticles, and closed stomata. Surfactants produced from human activities can aggravate the damage on plants at average salt spray levels. Methods to trap salt vary considerably in the literature, and results from different studies may not be comparable due to trap type, placement, and landscape position. Greenhouse versus field experiments and sampling may not always be compatible. The relations between salt spray distribution and vegetation zonation will be further complicated under climate change and human activities.

盐雾主要来自破裂浪中的气泡破裂，通常被认为是造成沿海沙丘植被分区的主要因素之一。本文综述了有关盐雾分布及其对沙丘植物影响的文献。盐雾的分布受波浪能，风况，与海岸的距离，地形，植被，降水以及沙土特性的影响很大。营养冠层的盐分累积量和捕获效率在很大程度上取决于植物的特性，例如结构和叶片形态。沙子中的盐浓度主要随土壤质地而变化。盐雾会对植物生长产生不利影响，并可能导致水分胁迫，促进组织坏死和叶片损失，降低气孔导度，提高水分利用效率，光合作用，影响同化物或生长器官的激素供应。沙尘和风的磨损以及昆虫对叶子的伤害会增加对植物的伤害。高湿度，结露，细雨和雾增加了植物叶片吸收盐分的速率。与成熟植物和植物叶片相比，盐雾对植物幼苗和生殖器官的影响更大。盐雾还可以为植物提供营养，尤其是在沿海沙丘中，其土壤营养和盐分累积速率较低。靠近海洋的物种通常表现出对盐雾的物候，形态和生理适应性，包括休眠时间/季节，低高度，密实和不对称的冠层，独特的叶片形态和/或方向，密集的毛发，坚硬的表皮和闭合的气孔。人类活动产生的表面活性剂在平均盐雾水平下会加剧对植物的破坏。捕集盐的方法在文献中有很大不同，由于捕集器的类型，位置和景观位置的不同，来自不同研究的结果可能不具有可比性。温室与田间试验和采样可能并不总是兼容的。在气候变化和人类活动的影响下，盐雾分布与植被分区之间的关系将进一步复杂化。