Country

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: one ecoregion. Each with its climate now and toward 2050, and its conservation tier.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands fall entirely within the Scotia Sea Islands tundra, an Antarctic-realm ecoregion that rates Half Protected. This is subantarctic tundra in the strict sense: no trees, a vegetation of tussock grasses, mosses, lichens, and cushion plants shaped by cold oceanic conditions, constant wind, and a short growing season. There is no gardening tradition to speak of here and no climate for one - the interest for plant-minded readers is the tundra flora itself, a hardy community that manages on some of the most exposed ground in the Southern Ocean. As a reference point, it marks one end of the world's vegetation spectrum: the place where woody plants give out entirely and grassland in its toughest form takes over.