A climate adaptation menu for North American grasslands
North American grasslands provide essential ecosystem services yet remain underrepresented in climate‑adaptation policy and research. This synthesis combines a systematic literature review with practitioner workshops to identify actionable strategies for climate‑resilient management. The resulting Grassland Adaptation Menu organizes eight strategies and 32 approaches, from conserving climate refugia and enhancing connectivity to adjusting fire and grazing, improving seed sourcing, increasing heterogeneity and managing microclimates. Although research on grassland–climate interactions is growing, few studies offer practical recommendations, underscoring the need to bridge the knowing–doing gap. The Menu provides a structured, accessible tool to help managers translate climate‑adaptation concepts into on‑the‑ground action.
Subject Tags
- Ecosystem management
- Climate adaptation
- Grassland
Abstract
North American grasslands are climate-vulnerable biomes that provide critical ecosystem services and support biodiversity. However, grasslands are often not included in climate policy and treaties, and they are underrepresented in ecological climate-adaptation literature. We synthesized existing knowledge on climate adaptation in North American grasslands to provide resources and guidance for grassland managers facing increasing climate change impacts. We leveraged data from a systematic review and solicited input from management professionals at workshops to create a Grassland Adaptation Menu—a referenced, hierarchical list of specific grassland management tactics nested under broader climate adaptation strategies. Our review revealed that although the number of published studies examining grassland-climate topics is increasing, relatively few provide actionable recommendations for adaptation. Among studies that did make recommendations, landscape-planning principles such as conserving grasslands in future climate refugia and enhancing connectivity were the most frequently recommended practice types, but there were also suggestions for site-level management such as adjustments to fire and grazing, improved seed sourcing and restoration practices, increased heterogeneity and biodiversity, use of assisted migration and management of microclimate conditions. The Grassland Adaptation Menu incorporates eight general strategies and 32 approaches in a structured format designed to help managers translate concepts into actions.
Citation
Bernath‐Plaisted, J. S., Handler, S. D., Ahlering, M., Brandt, L. A., Maresh Nelson, S. B., Niemuth, N. D., ... & Zuckerberg, B. (2025). A climate adaptation menu for North American grasslands. Conservation Science and Practice, 7(4), e70017. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70017
TNC Authors
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Marissa Ahlering
Director of Science, Tri-State Minnesota and Dakotas
The Nature Conservancy
Email: mahlering@tnc.org