Grasslands and other open natural ecosystems are naturally tree-sparse landscapes shaped by rainfall, soil, fire, grazing and herbivores. They include grasslands, savannas, deserts, scrublands and rocky habitats, and they need conservation on their own ecological terms.

Basic Details

  • Nature: They are natural open habitats. Low tree cover does not make them degraded land.
  • Distribution: They occur across India’s arid, semi-arid, alpine, floodplain and coastal landscapes.
  • Key drivers: Rainfall, soils, hydrology, fire, grazing and wildlife shape their structure and species composition.

Major Types

  • Grasslands and savannas: These have continuous or patchy grass cover and scattered trees or shrubs.
  • Dry open ecosystems: Deserts, scrublands and saline or rocky habitats support species adapted to heat, low rainfall and sparse vegetation.
  • Specialised open habitats: Alpine meadows, riverine grasslands and coastal open areas depend on their local climate and water regime.

Characteristics and Ecological Role

  • Open-habitat species: Their structure supports species that need visibility, grass cover or bare ground, such as the Great Indian Bustard, blackbuck, Indian wolf and floricans.
  • Soil carbon: Deep grass roots can store carbon below ground and improve soil structure.
  • Water regulation: Ground cover slows runoff, improves infiltration and reduces soil erosion.
  • Pastoral systems: Many open landscapes support seasonal grazing, fodder and local livelihoods.
Illustration of India’s grasslands and other open natural ecosystems, showing biodiversity, soil carbon, water recharge and pastoral livelihoods.
Key ecological values of grasslands and other open natural ecosystems.

Major Threats

  • Misclassification: Treating open ecosystems as wastelands can lead to unsuitable tree planting, land conversion or infrastructure expansion.
  • Fragmentation: Roads, fencing, mines and dispersed development break habitat continuity for wide-ranging wildlife.
  • Invasive plants: Woody and invasive species can alter grass cover, fire regimes and food availability.
  • Unsuitable grazing control: Both overgrazing and complete exclusion of ecological grazing can damage habitats, depending on the ecosystem.

Conservation Priorities

  • Ecosystem-specific management: Restoration must retain the natural openness, native grasses and hydrology of each landscape.
  • Landscape protection: Conservation should include commons, revenue land and corridors, not only notified forests.
  • Community participation: Pastoralists and local communities hold knowledge that can improve grazing and habitat management.