8 largest grasslands in the world

Grasslands are vast areas of natural vegetation that might include lush green grass running across miles and miles. They are seen as intermediaries between forests at one end and deserts at the other. While forests have an abundance of moisture that is conducive to the growth of tall, dense trees, deserts lack this very moisture, making continuous vegetation unsustainable. Lying between these two extreme conditions, grasslands are found in areas with moderate rainfall. Grasslands arose during the Cenozoic Era, some 65.5 million years ago, due to the cooling and drying of the global climate. Grasslands account for one-fourth of Earth’s area. Due to an imbalance in global climate, they are spread across the whole earth. Take a look at some of the largest grasslands that you can travel to next.

The Mongolian-Manchurian Grassland is one of the largest grassland ecosystems on Earth, lying between Siberian conifer forests, Central Asian rocky deserts, and the Manchurian hills of Northeastern China. It covers an area of about 350,000 sq. km. Summers here are warm, while the winters are harsh, with temperatures dropping to -9ºC and even -20ºC in some regions. The elevation across the grassland ranges between 1,000 to 1,300 meters. The eastern part of the Mongolian-Manchurian Grassland is home to tallgrass prairie, while in the southern part, Carex sedge grasses, species of daisy, and other forb species cover the land. The grasslands support the growth of soybean, corn, rice, wheat, and other crops.
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These wide grasslands cover the entire stretch across northern South America, occupying western Venezuela and northeastern Colombia. With an area of about 220,000 square miles, the Llanos Grasslands are bound by the Andes Mountains on the north and west, the Guaviare River and the Amazon River basin in the south, and the lower Orinoco River and the Guiana Highlands to the east. The elevation of the grasslands never exceeds 1,000 feet. In the low-lying areas, swamp grasses and sedges cover the land, whereas in comparatively dry areas, long-stemmed and carpet grasses grow. This grassland is home to several species of animals, including deer, rabbits, anteaters, armadillos, tapirs, jaguars, and capybaras.
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Pampas is a Quechua word that means “flat surface.” The grassland stretches across three countries: Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, covering about 750,000 sq. km of their area. Due to warm temperatures complemented by mild rain showers, this grassland is ideal for agriculture. However, due to factors including wildfires and floods, agriculture has not flourished in this area. Animals like foxes, skunks, small herds of guanaco, viscachas, bush dogs, species of sparrows, hawks, and waterfowl live here.
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Also known as the Kirghiz steppe, it is among the largest dry steppe regions on the planet, covering an area of about 804,500 square kilometers. These grasslands lie at the southern end of the Ural Mountains, the line that separates Europe from Asia. The steppe ecosystem comprises 59% of Kazakhstan's area. In the 1950s, 40% of Kazakhstan’s steppe was used for intensive agriculture, and the remainder was used for grazing livestock. However, changes in climate have turned these lands almost desert-like. It is currently home to wild Argali sheep, grey wolves, Eurasian lynx, wild boar, Siberian roe deer, corsac fox, steppe pika, and bobak marmots.
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Australian savannas are the largest tropical savannas. With dense grass and scattered trees, the grassland stretches across northern Australia from Broome to Townsville. As it is situated south of the equator, the dry temperatures often facilitate wildfires, and the tropical rainforests that could have otherwise grown here are unable to due to these fires. While the average temperature of the savannah is just 30 degrees Celsius, the temperature can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius. The animals that live here include the echidna, eastern gray kangaroo, koala, agile and whiptail wallabies, wallaroos, possums, gliders, northern quoll, and golden bandicoot. The saltwater crocodile can grow up to 7 to 8 meters here.
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The land between British Columbia and Ontario is known as the Canadian Prairies. It is divided into three provinces: Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Stretched along an area of about 1,780,650.6 sq. km, the Canadian Prairies are the third largest grasslands in the world. The prairies begin where the Rocky Mountains end, and the landscape is mainly plains, lowlands, and grassy fields. They have very moody seasons, alternating between warm, dry, sunny days and cold nights.
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The Great Plains of North America spread across almost ten U.S. states, including Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, which make the total area of these grasslands about 2,900,000 sq. km. They are surrounded by the Rocky Mountains on the west, the Mackenzie River in the north, and the Rio Grande to the south. The Great Plains have a continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers, along with low precipitation and humidity over most of the region.
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These grasslands cover an area of 40 million square kilometers, making them the largest grasslands in the world. The elevation of the Nagqu Grasslands rises as high as 4,500 meters. Most parts, with the exception of the eastern side, are not cultivable. It is located between the Tanggula Mountains and the Nyainqentanglha Range. According to a 2016 study, researchers suggested that there has been degradation of the grasslands with signs of desertification. The grassland houses wild yaks, wild donkeys, bharals, white-lipped deer, and many others.
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