Nature conservation policies are biased toward forests and neglect grassy ecosystems worldwide

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 388; no. 6747; p. eadx7441
• Main Authors: Pillar, Valério D., Overbeck, Gerhard E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 08.05.2025
• Subjects: Climate Change; Climate change mitigation; Conservation; Conservation of Natural Resources - legislation & jurisprudence; Ecosystems; Environmental policy; Forest conservation; Forest ecosystems; Forest management; Forests; Grassland; Grasslands; Livestock; Livestock production; Nature conservation; Poaceae; Policies; Terrestrial ecosystems; Tundra; Woodlands
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adx7441
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203

Globally, grassy ecosystems (including grasslands, savannas, shrublands, woodlands, and tundra) cover 30 to 40% of the land and provide important benefits such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, livestock production, and cultural services. However, despite their importance, the conservation of grassy ecosystems—compared with that of forests—has been neglected around the world, leading to a greater loss rate than forest ecosystems in many regions . Here, we examine this bias in public conservation discourse and policies that give priority to forests and neglect the conservation of grassy ecosystems worldwide. We argue that grassy ecosystems need stronger legal safeguards and global recognition to match forest conservation efforts.