Arctic coastal tundra ecoregion

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Arctic coastal tundra

RESOLVE 407

The Arctic Coastal Tundra spans most of Alaska's northern coastline, a low coastal plain (0-150 m) along the Beaufort Sea in the Nearctic realm. Poorly drained terrain is dotted with thaw lakes covering up to half the ecoregion, and vegetation is dominated by wet tundra, fens, bogs, and marshes of grasses, sedges, and mosses, with dwarf shrubs on better-drained ground. The Arctic climate brings low precipitation (100-300 mm) and continuous, ice-rich permafrost with ice wedges and pingos. Its flagship species is the beluga whale; only about 4% lies in protected areas though most remains intact.

Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 70.3°N, 155.5°W.

Climate snapshot for this ecoregion

°C

°F

USDA zone range (now)

2a-3a

USDA

What seed packets and nursery tags reference. Coldest-day survival semantics.

Plotwright projection (2041–2070)

5b-7a

Plotwright

Where CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.

Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +14.0°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.

At a glance

Dominant biome

Tundra

Realm

Nearctic

Approximate area

19,174 sq mi

Conservation tier

Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)

About the tundra biome

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.

Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion

Computed from each plant's stated USDA zone range against this ecoregion's USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer published current zone range, with the CHELSA mid-century warming delta applied for the projection. Plants whose stated range falls outside both the current and projected zone end up dropped; the rest land in one of the three buckets below.

Climate-resilient picks · 138

These plants fit this ecoregion today AND remain in range under the mid-century SSP3-7.0 projection. Lead with these for a planting that holds up as the climate shifts.

Bearberry (kinnikinnick)

Calendula (pot marigold)

Canadian serviceberry

Firecracker penstemon

Foamflower

Foxglove beardtongue

Fragrant plantain lily

Northern maidenhair fern

Summersweet (sweet pepperbush)

Newly possible by 2070 · 97

These plants don't fit the current zone range yet, but the mid-century projection brings them into reach. Long-horizon picks for the climate-adaptation wedge.

American red raspberry

Black tupelo (black gum)

Carolina allspice (sweetshrub)

Maypop (purple passionflower)

Short-toothed mountain mint

Tulip tree (yellow poplar)

Collections for this ecoregion

Curated multi-plant collections whose members all fit this ecoregion's zone range — no won't-grow members smuggled in. Overall fit class shown per collection is the weakest link across its members.

Climate-resilient · 2 plants

Bright shade foundation

A part-shade starting point with shrub structure and low foliage contrast.

Annabelle hydrangea

Coral bells

Newly possible by 2070 · 8 plants

Climate-resilient natives for warming zones (eastern NA)

A pollinator-supporting palette of eastern NA natives whose USDA zone range and broad continental distribution score high on the climate-resilience composite. Every plant tolerates 6-7 USDA zones and is native across 15+ US states + multiple Canadian provinces. Holds up under the SSP3-7.0 mid-century projection without the gardener trading wildlife value for resilience.