Halophytes - Diversity and applications

Halophytes, or halophilic plants, are plants that are able to survive and thrive in salt-rich environments. They can therefore be found in coastal regions (dunes, beaches, coastal cliffs, mangroves) or inland areas affected by drought (steppes, around dried-up inland lakes). While all degrees of halophily exist in nature, it is estimated that a halophyte is capable of withstanding a salt concentration of at least 100 mM (5 g/L) in the external environment without visible morphological alteration. A distinction is thus made between halophytes, capable of completing their entire development cycle in the presence of salt, and so-called "glycophytes", plants unable to withstand the presence of salt in their environment. It's worth noting that almost all the plants we eat are glycophytes. This particularity of halophytes makes them particularly important to consider, given the increase in salinized soil surfaces around the globe as a result of climate change. Indeed, salt-contaminated soils now cover 1 billion hectares worldwide (20 times the size of France), and 20% of cultivated land is now subject to salinization.

This article presents an overview of the biodiversity of halophytic plants in their different habitats, the particular way in which these plants have been able to achieve a very significant selective advantage in hostile environments, some features of the biochemical composition of the main halophytes, and finally some traditional or more recent uses for these plants.