Where the grass(land) is growing?

Europe’s grasslands have faced a significant decline in both size and biodiversity—up to 90% of some types have been lost since the mid-20th century. Grassland Watch monitors grassland cover in selected Natura 2000 sites across Europe. The total size of the monitored area is 273,124 km². This area also includes other land cover types, such as water, bogs, and forests. Biodiversity-rich grasslands in the monitored area make up an average of 13%, or 35,639 km².

The largest monitored area is in Spain, home to the Dehesa—an agro-silvo-pastoral system that creates a savannah-like landscape of scattered oak trees and pastures. In countries such as Estonia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria, the grassland cover in the monitored area is generally growing. Most countries lose grassland habitats in some areas while gaining in others. The smallest area is recorded in Finland, though the semi-natural grasslands there are, in reality, larger.

The Grassland Monitor is currently being updated, and the statistics on gains and losses are based on visual assessments of the maps. The last available statistics are from 2022.