Earth is home to a spectacular array of ecosystems, each with their own unique characteristics and benefits. Yet not all of them receive equal attention: Grasslands, for one, are often overlooked — despite their importance.
The world’s grasslands are arguably the single most extensive land cover on Earth’s ice-free land surface. Grasslands or “grassy ecosystems” — used here to encompass savannas, open shrubland and tundra — are also incredibly diverse. They range from the Great Plains of North American and the Pampas of South America to the Eurasian Steppes and East African savannas (such as the Serengeti and Maasai Mara).
These ecosystems are critical for a wide range of plants and animals and for mitigating climate change. They also offer sustenance, income, cultural identity and essential ecosystem services, such as pollination and water regulation, to populations around the globe. Over a billion people directly depend on grasslands for their food and livelihoods, many of them Indigenous groups and other local communities.
Yet despite all this, grasslands receive disproportionately little protection, funding and attention in global conservation and climate agendas. Only 4.6% of temperate grasslands are protected, compared to 18% of forests and around 16% of wetlands. And close to half of all grasslands may have already been converted to uses, such as agriculture or development. As a result, they are among the most at-risk biomes on Earth.
The good news is that a growing body of research is shedding light on grasslands’ many benefits, making the case for increased investment and protection. Here are five key reasons why they deserve more attention:
1) Grasslands Play a Vital Role in Mitigating Climate Change
One of the most underrecognized benefits of grasslands is their vital role in mitigating climate change. Although they store less carbon per unit area than forests, the sheer expanse of grasslands globally means they are a major storehouse, accounting for up to 34% of the world’s terrestrial carbon. Forests, by comparison, account for about 39%.
Ninety percent of this carbon is stored underground, where the diversity of grassland plants helps increase the amount of organic carbon stored in roots and soils. Because of this, and because many grasslands plants have deep and resilient root systems, their carbon stores may be more stable than those in forests, better able to withstand environmental stressors like drought and fires. When fires do sweep through, belowground carbon remains mostly intact. But carbon stored above ground is mostly lost when vegetation burns.
In fact, emerging research shows that a significant portion of grasslands’ soil carbon is stored in deeper subsoil layers than are typically measured in the field. This means the amount they hold may be greater than currently estimated.
Various strategies could help grasslands store even more carbon. For example, silvopasture (deliberately integrating trees into pasturelands) has shown particular promise. In tropical regions, silvopasture consistently improves carbon sequestration — often in pastures with degraded soils or low existing productivity.
Grasslands also help regulate temperatures thanks to their high “albedo,” meaning they reflect solar radiation and contribute to local cooling. Recent research highlights that light-colored grassy vegetation in South Africa reflects more radiation compared to areas with shrubs. As woody plants encroach into these ecosystems, they absorb more solar radiation, diminishing this cooling effect. This highlights the importance of maintaining open grasslands, where appropriate, as a nature-based climate solution.
2) Grasslands Are Crucial Habitats for Many Plants and Animals
Grasslands support an extraordinary variety of life. Many are considered biodiversity hotspots, with grassland, shrubland and savanna accounting for nearly a third (6.8 million square kilometers) of Key Biodiversity Areas globally. Indeed, some temperate grasslands host nearly 90 species per square meter, making them among the most species-rich ecosystems on the planet.
Grasslands are home to many of the world’s iconic large mammals — from bison in the Northern Great Plains of the U.S. and Canada; to elephants, giraffes, hippos and lions in the African savanna; to the last remaining wild horses in the Eurasian Steppes. Many grassland birds, such as the greater sage-grouse and eastern meadowlark, rely on these open landscapes for breeding and nesting. Beyond large mammals and birds, grasslands also support critical species of reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals like prairie voles.
Many plants and animals that live in these ecosystems are grassland specialists and are endemic to specific regions and grassland types, meaning they’re only found in that one habitat. Due to their limited range and ongoing habitat loss, these species are increasingly becoming rare or endangered. For example, the plains-wanderer — a small ground-dwelling bird native to eastern Australia, which is so evolutionarily distinct that it has its own taxonomic family — is considered critically endangered due to the widespread conversion of the native grasslands it requires for foraging and roosting to cropland.
3) Grasslands Provide Essential Ecosystem Services
In addition to their climate and biodiversity benefits, grasslands — including well-managed livestock pastures — provide ecosystem services that benefit people worldwide. For one, they support habitat for pollinators such as native bees and butterflies that enhance crop yields on nearby farmland. It’s estimated that as much as 35% of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators, making healthy grasslands essential for sustaining agricultural productivity.
Belowground, the roots, microbes and fungi in grassland ecosystems help decompose and release nutrients, resulting in more resilient, productive landscapes that sustain both people and wildlife. Deep-rooted native grasses also anchor and strengthen the soil, helping to reduce erosion and keep landscapes intact. Over the last 150 years, nearly half of the world’s topsoil has been lost, in part due to conversion and poor management of grasslands.
These underground systems are also critical for regulating water. They enable rainwater to penetrate into the soil and recharge groundwater stores, helping plants, animals and nearby people to weather dry spells. Grasslands absorb surplus rain during periods of heavy rainfall, regulating water discharge into streams and rivers and helping to buffer against floods. And their underground ecosystems naturally purify water by filtering out pollutants and excess nutrients.
4) Over 1 Billion People Rely on Grasslands for Their Food and Livelihoods
Grasslands are a key source of livelihoods and food security for pastoralists, smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities. They contribute approximately US$20.8 trillion in economic value each year through livestock production and other economic services, which is higher than the GDP of every nation except the U.S. and China. Livestock farmed on grass and pasturelands are also an important animal protein source in many developing countries — especially in regions where other options, such as fish, are limited.
These benefits are particularly vital for marginalized groups. An estimated 1 billion people, the majority of whom live under the poverty line, depend on grazing livestock for subsistence and income. In underdeveloped regions like sub-Saharan Africa, grassland- and savanna-based pastoralism and extensive livestock production contribute to 5%-25% of some countries’ GDP.1
5) Communities Around the Globe Have Deep Cultural Ties to Grasslands
Beyond providing food and livelihoods, grasslands hold great cultural, historical and spiritual importance, particularly for Indigenous Peoples and local communities whose cultural identities are enmeshed with the land.
Many traditions and Indigenous land management practices developed around ecological cycles associated with grazing lands. For example, Aboriginal Australians have practiced “fire-stick farming” for thousands of years. This method uses controlled fires to reduce fuel loads and prevent larger blazes, while also creating vegetation mosaics that promote biodiversity and improve the land’s productivity.
The Afar people, pastoralists in East Africa, have the “Edo” tradition. Scouts use Indigenous knowledge of factors overlooked by conventional assessments — such as soil color and the presence of certain plants and animals — to evaluate potential grazing areas. They consider factors like water sources, vegetation, pests and social dynamics to ensure the land is used sustainably.
In the U.S. and Canada, human life in the prairies dates back 10,000 years, to when the Indigenous A’aninin, Assiniboine, Cree, Sioux and Blackfoot linked their travel through the grasslands with the migration of bison. Bison still hold a sacred status in the culture of the Sicangu Oyate and other Indigenous North American communities, inspiring traditional ceremonies, dances and songs that are passed down through generations.
These and other cultural practices, such as camel praise poetry in East Africa — which depicts grassland and rangeland fauna and flora in colorful oral poems — indicate how deeply these ecosystems are linked not just with livelihoods, but with traditional knowledge and spiritual cosmology.
But these cultures don’t just depend on grassland ecosystems; they also play a crucial role in their protection. Native American Nations, together with ranching and farming families, own and oversee 85% of the remaining intact Northern Great Plains grassland. These communities are stewards of their ancestral lands, with crucial knowledge about sustainable land use and ecosystem management.
It’s Time We Recognize and Protect Grasslands’ Importance
Despite their incredible benefits, grasslands are undervalued — and under threat. They are one of the most at-risk biomes due to significant loss, inadequate protection, and inappropriate or absent management.
Indeed, half the world’s grasslands have already suffered some degree of degradation, whether due to agricultural expansion, development and urbanization, invasive species, overgrazing or species replacement. Shifting temperatures and weather patterns driven by climate change only exacerbate this decline.
This is already affecting wildlife habitat and endangering species — as well as releasing carbon stores that further accelerate climate change. In fact, grassland conversion could cause up to 4.25 gigatons of emissions globally by 2050, equivalent to India’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. As the health of the grasslands suffers, so, too, does the wellbeing of their human inhabitants. Many will face mounting vulnerability as their livelihoods and food security are threatened.
Grasslands have largely been overlooked in global conservation and climate commitments so far. But they are beginning to receive more attention: Research is shedding light on grasslands’ many benefits, and 2026 will be the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Now, this growing awareness must translate to action. We urgently need governments, investors and businesses to align policies and commitments with protecting grasslands. This can help maximize their potential to curb climate change, safeguard biodiversity and contribute to sustainable development.
To support these actions, more information is needed about the threats to grasslands and how they are changing. Upcoming research from Land & Carbon Lab’s Global Pasture Watch research consortium will help fill this gap by providing critical new research about the state of grasslands.
Learn what the latest data can show us about grasslands and follow our research.
1 Based on author’s calculations. Sources: Sudan | Ethiopia | Kenya | Mali | Uganda | Nigeria
