Grasslands of the World
Grasslands tend to form across the world in the precipitation gradient between deserts and forests. Where rain could support more trees, fire and herbivores mediate the difference. Grasslands are the youngest biome, and they’re also the most human.
Look for these ecosystems in the rainshadow of mountains. Look for them near alpine peaks, arctic soils, and windswept coasts. Look for treeless plains, but also look under a canopy of Acacia, pau-terra, or longleaf pines.
Grasslands of the World
Grasslands are all around us. Explore now:
Did we miss your favorite grassland like Aso-Kujo? Let us know.
- All
- Europe
- Australia & NZ
- Africa
- North America
- South America
- Asia
North American Prairie
Spanning three climate zones, the Great Plains has its own range of tallgrass, mixed, and arid shortgrass prairies. As the rainfall changes from East to West, so do the plants and animals that call each area home.
Notable species: Buffalo, pronghorn, Eastern/Western Meadowlark, swift fox, prairie dogs, American badger
African Savannahs
Covering more land than the entire USA, Africa’s savannahs are as iconic as they are expansive. Megafauna dominate these well-known and well-studied landscapes, including the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, Sudanian Savannah, and Miombo. Serengeti includes a short-grass, mid-grass, and tallgrass gradient and hosts an enormous intact land mammal migration corridor.
Notable species: Lion, cheetah, plains zebra, wildebeest, leopard, nile crocodile, northern giraffe, African bush elephant
Sahel
This nearly 4,000-mile belt of semi-arid grassland along the southern border of the Sahara desert features drought-hardy Acacia trees and seasonal wetlands. Overgrazing and fragile water systems leave this ecoregion vulnerable to desertification.
Notable species: oryx, gazelles, African buffalo
Eurasian Steppe
The Eurasian Steppe system is among the largest grasslands in the world, though its 5,000 miles is fragmented today. The birthplace of horses, the steppe’s hardy residents survive bitterly cold winters, brief summers, and arid conditions. This region includes Romania, Ukraine, Mongolia, Russia, and Northeast China.
Notable species: Takhi, saiga antelope, Bactrian camel, Great Bustard, Mongolian gazelle, Asiatic wild ass, tulips, alfalfa, Russian tortoise
Cerrado
The Cerrado is the little sister of the Amazon Rainforest, and the most biodiverse grassland in the world. With landscapes like a natural orchard, the ancient Cerrado is a beautiful, complex ecosystem shaped by fire and drought.
Notable species: maned wolf, giant anteater, hyacinth macaw, toco toucan, red-legged seriema, giant armadillo, fan palms, burrowing owl, golden grass.
Read our Cerrado breakdown next, or read“The Cerrado Biome: A Forgotten Biodiversity Hotspot” by Frontiers for Young Minds.
Los Llanos
The Llanos of the Orinoco basin of Venezuela and Colombia are savannas under severe threat. Flooding each year by the Orinoco river drives back the scattered trees. This young grassland is only about 10,000 years old.
Notable species: capybara, tapir, jaguar
Pampas
These fertile grasslands of South America stretch through Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, varying from arid plains to semi-tropical savanna. The Pampas serve as wintering ground for several North American birds.
Notable species: pampas deer, mara, guanaco, Greater Rhea, Swainson’s Hawk, pampas grass, plains viscacha.
Patagonian Desert Grasslands
This special region in South America is very dry, but certainly not devoid of life. Despite low rainfall, grasslands in the Patagonian Desert contain important wetlands. Nearly 90% of these grasslands are privately owned.
Notable species: South American gray fox, Striated Caracara
Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands
Grasslands in the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico and the United States are fragmented but critical habitat. These grasslands contain ⅓ of the world’s cactus species and support over 80% of North America’s wintering grassland birds. They also host the largest remaining black-tailed prairie dog towns.
Notable species: Mexican wolf, Mexican prairie dog, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, mountain plover, so many cactus species
Veld
These temperate grasslands in South Africa and Zimbabwe are the birthplace of humans. Afrikaans for “field,” the veld has a mosaic of ecotypes including highveld, thornveld, lowveld, and bushveld. Large mammals persist only in or near protected areas.
Notable species: baobab, meerkat, mongoose, oryx, lion, hippopotamus, giraffe, elephant
Central Highlands of Madagascar
About 65% of the Central Highlands on Madagascar are grasslands, where hundreds of endemic grasses alone have been recorded. This grassland, like New Zealand, had very few large grazers shaping its evolutionary history and is a haven for rare and endangered plants like orchids.
For more, read about the Itremo Massif Protected Area species checklist by Kew Madagascar and IUCN.
Hummock Grassland
Mostly arid or semi-arid, these grasslands of Australia are often a very harsh place with extreme droughts, fires, and floods. Some of the grasslands are more traditional oceans of grass, while others are dotted by trees or broken up by “faerie rings.”
Notable species: kangaroos, wallabies, bearded dragon, Emu, Cockatiel, Galah, grasskeets, ground parrots, wombat, short-beaked echidna
Tropical Grasslands
Tropical grasslands are often dotted with trees and even covered with a loose canopy at times. The always-warm climate alternates between a dry and wet season, so tropical grasslands may be subject to flooded or arid conditions.
Temperate Grasslands
Semi-arid desert and steppe grasslands cover 14% of the world. These grasslands have four distinct seasons with warm summers and cold winters.
Desert Grasslands
The desert grasslands of the world are located between true deserts and what is often a shrubby landscape associated with mountains. These grasslands are very unique and host a wide range of equally unique plants and animals.
Montane Grasslands
Grasslands like the Kinabalu Montane Alpine Meadows (Malaysia) and Southland montane grasslands (New Zealand) exist in alpine, montane, or subalpine regions across the globe. We’re still compiling information, but if you’d like to learn more now, check out the World Wildlife Fund’s description of this ecoregion.
Best Biome: a podcast for grassland lovers
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