VALUING GRASSLANDS CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS FOR NATURE, CLIMATE AND PEOPLE DISCUSSION PAPER VALUING GRASSLANDS CONTENTS CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS FOR NATURE, CLIMATE AND PEOPLE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................3 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................6 DISCUSSION PAPER Fe b r u a r y 2 0 2 4 Grasslands, Rangelands, Savannahs and Shrublands (GRaSS) Alliance The organizations behind this briefing are committed to protecting and restoring grasslands. They have come together in an informal alliance to develop common positions, and identify the grasslands of highest ecological importance for protection or sustainable management under the 30 x 30 commitment. They also continue to monitor their status and threats they face while calling for action from all stakeholders. The Alliance is convened by Dragonfly Advisory. 2. GRASSLANDS: DEFINITIONS, LOCATION Executive Summary AND COMMUNITIES .........................................................8 Introduction 3. VALUE AND BENEFITS ................................................16 Grasslands 4. THREATS AND PRESSURES What: Definitions and Terms ........................................24 5. CASE STUDIES ............................................................33 Who: People and Communities The Nature Conservancy: Where: Mapping Mongolian Herding Communities, Eurasian steppe ............. 34 Importance Conservation International and Peace Parks Foundation: Herding for Health, African savannah .................................. 35 Nature: Biodiversity & Wildlife, Soil, Water Plantlife: Meadow Makers, England .................................... 37 Climate: Mitigation and Adaptation The Grassland Alliance - BirdLife and Partners: Southern Cone, SouthCulture America ........................................... 38 People: Food, Income, World Wildlife Fund: Threats Northern Great Plains, USA ................................................. 40 Agriculture 6. FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION ..................................44 Afforestation REFERENCES .................................................................46 Invasive species Fire regimes We acknowledge the World Resources Institute for its technical contributions to this discussion paper. Cover photo: Volodymyr Burdiak/Envato Development Case Studies Mongolia Herders, Eurasian steppe Herding for Health, Southern Africa savannah Meadows, UK Sustainable Ranching Initiative, Northern Great Plains 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Grasslands stretch across the planet, their apparent simplicity masking their ecological, climatic and social importance and complexity. These undervalued and overlooked landscapes are fundamental to planetary and human health. Protecting them is not merely an urgent mandate; it is central to numerous global challenges. Realizing the hidden value of grasslands provides an opportunity to bolster environmental stability and human development in the crucial decades ahead. Across the globe, grasslands take on different forms, each with unique human and wildlife communities. The Eurasian Steppe, home to nomadic pastoralists, supports wildlife such as the critically endangered Saiga antelope. In Africa's savannahs, indigenous communities coexist with iconic species like lions and elephants. North America's Great Plains, once grazed by vast bison herds, has long sustained Native Americans and more recently ranching communities. South America's Pampas, known for its vast plains, is crucial for bird species like the rhea. Each ecoregion demonstrates an intricate balance between the people and wildlife relying on them. Photo: Envato In addition to providing crucial ecological habitats and food and income for over 1 billion people, including some of the most marginalized communities around the world, grasslands play a crucial role in climate stability, storing over 30% of the world's carbon stocks. They also make substantial contributions to freshwater regulation, soil preservation, and other ecosystem services essential for the proper functioning of the planet. Despite their importance, these ecosystems are under threat. Half of the world's grasslands have already suffered some degree of degradation, and the risks are on the rise. The main challenges include agricultural conversion, such as monocropping practices, intensified livestock grazing and the replacement of native grass species with non-native counterpa