1. Halophyte diversity

Halophytes are highly biodiverse. These plants, found on every continent of the globe, generally evolve in coastal regions, where the soil and atmosphere are impregnated with salt water. They can therefore be found on beaches, rocks, salt marshes or mangroves, and coastal dunes (figure 1 ). Interestingly, they are also found in the world's arid zones ("sabkhas" in North Africa, steppes in Central Asia, etc.) where, as a result of high water evaporation, the soil contains a high concentration of mineral salts.