Marie Byrd Land tundra
Marie Byrd Land tundra
The Marie Byrd Land tundra is a tundra ecoregion in the Antarctica biogeographic realm, covering roughly 443 square miles (RESOLVE 2017 ecoregion 124). Under the Dinerstein "Nature Needs Half" framework it is classed Half Protected (tier 1 of 4) — at least half of its natural habitat already lies within protected areas. CHELSA climate coverage isn't available at this ecoregion's centroid, so no hardiness snapshot is shown here.
RESOLVE 124
Antarctica
443 sq mi
Tundra
Landscape type
Tundra
Plant region
Antarctica
Region footprint
443 sq mi
Habitat pressure
Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 1)
Source & care
Sponsored
Plotwright may earn a commission from purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Use this as the broad planting pattern for the region: Treeless polar and high-mountain landscapes of low shrubs, sedges, mosses, and lichens, where cold and a short growing season cap plant height. Soils are frequently frozen as permafrost, and these systems recover only slowly from disturbance. For garden decisions, pair that context with the plant list below, then narrow by your site's light, water, soil, and mature-size constraints.
Range & origins
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 77.2°S, 126.9°W.
Region through time
Modern footprint
RESOLVE 2017 maps 443 sq mi
This boundary is a modern ecological footprint for Marie Byrd Land tundra, not a permanent line on the planet. It is useful for today's plant and wildlife context because it follows recurring vegetation, climate, landform, and disturbance patterns.
Why here
tundra conditions
The region sits in the Antarctica realm and is classed as tundra. Elevation, moisture, fire, soils, coasts, and human land use can all make the real landscape more varied than a single map color suggests.
Change pressure
Half Protected
Plotwright shows this as the current RESOLVE footprint. Over decades to centuries, warming, disturbance, invasive species, land use, and restoration can move the living edge of a region even when the reference map stays fixed.
Similar planting regions
Browse other regions with a similar hot, dry-summer rhythm. Their plant lists can suggest species and combinations worth comparing.
RESOLVE 117 - Antarctica
Adelie Land tundra
The Adelie Land tundra is a tundra ecoregion in the Antarctica biogeographic realm, covering roughly 68 square miles (RESOLVE 2017 ecoregion 117). Under the Dinerstein "Nature Needs Half" framework it is classed Half Protected (tier 1 of 4) — at least half of its natural habitat already lies within protected areas. CHELSA climate coverage isn't available at this ecoregion's centroid, so no hardiness snapshot is shown here.
Tundra
68 sq mi
NNH tier 1
RESOLVE 118 - Antarctica
Central South Antarctic Peninsula tundra
The Central South Antarctic Peninsula tundra is a tundra ecoregion in the Antarctica biogeographic realm, covering roughly 1,901 square miles (RESOLVE 2017 ecoregion 118). Under the Dinerstein "Nature Needs Half" framework it is classed Half Protected (tier 1 of 4) — at least half of its natural habitat already lies within protected areas. CHELSA climate coverage isn't available at this ecoregion's centroid, so no hardiness snapshot is shown here.
Tundra
1,901 sq mi
NNH tier 1
RESOLVE 119 - Antarctica
Dronning Maud Land tundra
The Dronning Maud Land tundra is a tundra ecoregion in the Antarctica biogeographic realm, covering roughly 2,107 square miles (RESOLVE 2017 ecoregion 119). Under the Dinerstein "Nature Needs Half" framework it is classed Half Protected (tier 1 of 4) — at least half of its natural habitat already lies within protected areas. CHELSA climate coverage isn't available at this ecoregion's centroid, so no hardiness snapshot is shown here.
Tundra
2,107 sq mi
NNH tier 1
RESOLVE 120 - Antarctica
East Antarctic tundra
The East Antarctic tundra is a tundra ecoregion in the Antarctica biogeographic realm, covering roughly 416 square miles (RESOLVE 2017 ecoregion 120). Under the Dinerstein "Nature Needs Half" framework it is classed Half Protected (tier 1 of 4) — at least half of its natural habitat already lies within protected areas. CHELSA climate coverage isn't available at this ecoregion's centroid, so no hardiness snapshot is shown here.
Tundra
416 sq mi
NNH tier 1
RESOLVE 121 - Antarctica
Ellsworth Land tundra
The Ellsworth Land tundra is a tundra ecoregion in the Antarctica biogeographic realm, covering roughly 84 square miles (RESOLVE 2017 ecoregion 121). Under the Dinerstein "Nature Needs Half" framework it is classed Half Protected (tier 1 of 4) — at least half of its natural habitat already lies within protected areas. CHELSA climate coverage isn't available at this ecoregion's centroid, so no hardiness snapshot is shown here.
Tundra
84 sq mi
NNH tier 1
RESOLVE 122 - Antarctica
Ellsworth Mountains tundra
The Ellsworth Mountains tundra is a tundra ecoregion in the Antarctica biogeographic realm, covering roughly 1,135 square miles (RESOLVE 2017 ecoregion 122). Under the Dinerstein "Nature Needs Half" framework it is classed Half Protected (tier 1 of 4) — at least half of its natural habitat already lies within protected areas. CHELSA climate coverage isn't available at this ecoregion's centroid, so no hardiness snapshot is shown here.
Tundra
1,135 sq mi
NNH tier 1
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or regional planting notes that use this Plotwright page. To cite the underlying ecoregion framework or a specific editorial profile, use the source cards below.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Marie Byrd Land tundra (Marie Byrd Land tundra). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/regions/resolve-124
Sources for this region
This page cites Plotwright first for the compiled view, then lists the upstream framework, climate, and editorial source pages so readers can cite the original material directly.
RESOLVE 2017 Terrestrial Ecoregions (Dinerstein et al.)
Primary ecoregion framework
Backs 4 fields
RESOLVE id
Biome + realm
Area
NNH tier