The Chukchi Peninsula tundra spans the northern coast of far northeastern Russia, reaching to Cape Dezhnev, the easternmost point of mainland Asia, and is broken by ranges such as the Chukotka and Anyuskiy mountains. Lying north of the treeline, it is dominated by lichen- and moss-rich tundra rather than trees, with low mountain communities of pincushion plant, alpine azalea, alpine cranberry, eight-petal mountain-avens, and netleaf willow, while coastal zones support dwarf birch and sedges. The climate is harsh and permafrost-bound, with sharp, shifting cold winds, very low annual precipitation, and only brief summers when sea influence nudges daytime temperatures just above freezing. Despite these conditions the region holds remarkable diversity, including hundreds of recorded lichen and moss species, Beringian endemic plants, and fauna such as Siberian bighorn sheep, polar bears, and breeding migratory geese and ducks. Notably, relict species like redcurrant and common oak fern persist near hot springs, a reminder of how sheltered microclimates can host plants well outside their expected range.

At a glance

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 CHELSA-derived 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.

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.

Related ecoregions