Major Grassland and Scrubland Ecosystems of India: Types, Locations, Tricks and MCQs

Grasslands and scrublands are among the most ignored ecosystems of India. For a long time they were recorded as "wastelands" in land records, even though they support some of the country's most threatened wildlife, from the Great Indian Bustard and the one-horned rhinoceros to the blackbuck, the Nilgiri tahr and the Indian wild ass. They are also the backbone of pastoral life for communities such as the Maldharis of Kutch, the Raikas of Rajasthan, the Gujjars and Bakarwals of the Himalaya and the Changpas of Ladakh.

This topic is asked regularly in UPSC Prelims, State PSC exams such as WBCS, and in SSC, Railways and other competitive exams. Questions usually test the location of a grassland, its local name, its key animals and birds, and the threats it faces. In this article you will learn the classification of Indian grasslands, the major grassland and scrubland ecosystems region by region, their flagship species, threats and conservation steps, followed by a quick revision box with easy memory tricks and 20 practice MCQs with answers.

➤ Quick summary: Five grass cover types of India (Dabadghao & Shankarnarayan, 1973)
➤ Major grasslands: Terai-Duar, Banni, Shola, Alpine meadows (Bugyals & Margs), Deccan and Thar grasslands, Trans-Himalayan steppe
➤ Major scrublands: Tropical thorn forests, Coromandel dry evergreen scrub, Chambal ravines, Rann of Kutch
➤ Flagship species: Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican, Lesser Florican, Rhino, Blackbuck, Nilgiri Tahr, Wild Ass

What Are Grassland and Scrubland Ecosystems?

A grassland is an ecosystem where grasses and herbs dominate and trees are few or absent. Grasslands form where rainfall is too low or seasonal for dense forests, or where fire, grazing, frost or waterlogging keep trees in check. In India most grasslands are not "climax" vegetation; many are maintained by grazing, fire and seasonal floods, and ecologists often describe them as semi-natural.

A scrubland is dominated by shrubs, thorny bushes and stunted trees. It develops in low-rainfall, hot and dry regions, on degraded forest land and on rocky or saline soils. In India, scrublands mainly include tropical thorn forests, dry evergreen scrub and degraded dry deciduous patches.

Classification of Indian Grasslands: Five Grass Cover Types

The most commonly quoted classification was given by Dabadghao and Shankarnarayan (1973), who divided India's grass cover into five major types based on the dominant grass species.

Major Grassland Ecosystems of India

1. Terai-Duar Grasslands (Tall Wet Grasslands)

The Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands form a narrow belt at the foot of the Himalaya, running from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh through Bihar and North Bengal to Assam. These are tall, moist grasslands where elephant grass (Saccharum), Phragmites and Imperata can grow taller than a person. Annual floods and fire keep them open.

• Protected areas: Dudhwa (UP), Jim Corbett (Uttarakhand), Valmiki (Bihar), Jaldapara and Gorumara (West Bengal), Kaziranga, Manas and Pobitora (Assam)
• Local name: The open grasslands of Corbett are called chaurs (e.g., Dhikala chaur)
• Key species: One-horned rhinoceros, swamp deer (barasingha), wild water buffalo, hog deer, pygmy hog (Manas), hispid hare, Bengal florican

2. Banni Grassland (Kutch, Gujarat)

Banni lies in the Kutch district of Gujarat, on the edge of the Great Rann of Kutch. It is often described as one of the largest natural grasslands of the Indian subcontinent. The soil is saline and the area is low-lying, formed from sediments of rivers that once flowed into the Rann.

• People: Maldhari pastoralists, known for the Banni buffalo and Kankrej cattle
• Wildlife: Chinkara, Indian wolf, caracal, striped hyena and many migratory raptors
• Main threat: Spread of the invasive tree Prosopis juliflora (gando baval), along with rising salinity and overgrazing

3. Shola Grasslands (Western Ghats)

Sholas are found in the high-altitude Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka – the Nilgiris, Anamalai, Palani and Kudremukh hills – generally above about 1,500–1,800 m. The landscape is a unique mosaic of rolling montane grasslands and patches of stunted evergreen forest (shola) in the folds of valleys. The grasslands act like a sponge and feed many south Indian rivers.

• Protected areas: Eravikulam NP (Kerala), Mukurthi NP (Tamil Nadu), Grass Hills (Anamalai)
• Key species: Nilgiri tahr (state animal of Tamil Nadu), Nilgiri pipit, Neelakurinji (flowers once in 12 years)
• Threats: Eucalyptus, pine and wattle plantations, tea estates, invasive plants

4. Alpine and Sub-Alpine Meadows (Himalaya)

Above the tree line in the Himalaya lie lush summer meadows full of grasses and flowering herbs. They stay under snow in winter and are used by pastoral communities for summer grazing.

• Bugyals – alpine meadows of Uttarakhand (e.g., Bedni, Auli, Dayara Bugyal)
• Margs – meadows of Kashmir (e.g., Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Tosamaidan)
• Valley of Flowers NP in Uttarakhand is a famous alpine meadow and a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Nanda Devi NP
• Wildlife: Himalayan tahr, musk deer, Himalayan monal, snow leopard (higher up)
• Users: Gujjars, Bakarwals, Gaddis and Bhotiyas

5. Trans-Himalayan Cold Desert Steppe (Ladakh & Spiti)

Ladakh, Spiti and parts of Sikkim have high-altitude cold desert grasslands with sparse grasses and cushion plants. The Changthang plateau of eastern Ladakh is the best-known example.

• Key species: Kiang (Tibetan wild ass), Tibetan argali, snow leopard, Tibetan wolf, black-necked crane (breeds at Tso Kar and Hanle wetlands)
• People: Changpa nomads who rear the goats that give Pashmina wool

6. Thar Desert Grasslands (Rajasthan)

The arid grasslands of western Rajasthan belong to the Dichanthium–Cenchrus–Lasiurus type. The most valuable fodder grass here is Sewan grass (Lasiurus sindicus), along with Dhaman (Cenchrus).

• Protected area: Desert National Park (Jaisalmer and Barmer)
• Flagship bird: Great Indian Bustard (GIB) – Critically Endangered, state bird of Rajasthan
• Other species: Chinkara, desert fox, blackbuck, sandgrouse
• Local wisdom: Village-protected grazing commons called orans (sacred groves) and gochars

7. Semi-Arid Deccan and Central Indian Grasslands

The open grasslands of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat belong mostly to the Sehima–Dichanthium type. They are short-grass savannas mixed with scattered trees and croplands.

Major Scrubland Ecosystems of India

1. Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrub

Thorn forests are found in areas of low rainfall (NCERT puts it at below about 70 cm; the Class 11 book gives under 50 cm for the driest parts). In the Champion and Seth (1968) classification they form Group 6 – Tropical Thorn Forests.

• Regions: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, south-west UP and the rain-shadow Deccan (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh)
• Plants: Babool/Acacia, Khejri (Prosopis cineraria – state tree of Rajasthan), Ber (Ziziphus), Khair, Euphorbia, Cactus, Ker (Capparis)
• Adaptations: Thorns instead of leaves, thick fleshy stems, long tap roots, small waxy leaves to cut water loss

2. Tropical Dry Evergreen Scrub (Coromandel Coast)

Along the Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh, which gets most of its rain from the north-east (retreating) monsoon, there is a special low evergreen scrub. Champion and Seth placed it in Group 7 – Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests. Point Calimere (Kodiyakkarai) Wildlife Sanctuary protects this habitat along with blackbuck.

3. Rann of Kutch Scrub and Saline Desert

The Little Rann of Kutch is a seasonal saline desert dotted with raised grassy islands called bets. It is home to the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, the last refuge of the Indian wild ass (khur). The Great Rann hosts flamingo breeding at "Flamingo City".

4. Ravine Scrublands (Chambal Badlands)

The deep ravines of the Chambal, Yamuna and Mahi rivers in Rajasthan, MP and UP are covered with thorny scrub. The National Chambal Sanctuary, shared by the three states, protects the river with gharials, while the ravines hold scrub wildlife such as Indian wolf, striped hyena and chinkara.

5. Aravalli Scrub Forests

The Aravalli range in Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi has dry scrub with Anogeissus (dhok), Acacia and Euphorbia. It acts as a green wall against the eastward spread of the Thar desert. Sariska and Kumbhalgarh are examples of protected areas here.

Grasslands of West Bengal

West Bengal's main grasslands lie in the Dooars of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts. Jaldapara National Park has one of India's largest populations of the one-horned rhino after Kaziranga, and Gorumara National Park also protects rhino, gaur and elephants in a tall grass–riverine forest mosaic. These Terai-Duar grasslands are a favourite topic in WBCS and WBSSC exams. The Themeda–Arundinella type also occurs in the hill areas of Darjeeling.

Major Threats to Grasslands and Scrublands

• "Wasteland" tag: Grasslands were treated as unproductive land and diverted for plantations, industry and farming
• Invasive species: Prosopis juliflora (Banni, Rajasthan), Lantana camara, wattle and eucalyptus (Sholas)
• Afforestation in the wrong place: Planting trees on natural grasslands destroys the habitat of grassland birds and animals
• Power lines and renewable energy projects: Overhead lines kill Great Indian Bustards by collision in Rajasthan and Gujarat
• Overgrazing, conversion to farmland and loss of traditional commons
• Changes in fire and flood cycles in Terai grasslands, and climate change in alpine meadows

Conservation Efforts

• GIB conservation breeding: MoEFCC, Rajasthan Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India run conservation breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra in Jaisalmer
• Supreme Court on power lines: In 2021 the Court ordered that power lines in priority GIB habitats be laid underground where feasible; in March 2024 it modified this order and set up an expert committee to balance GIB protection with renewable energy
• CMS COP-13 (Gandhinagar, 2020): The Great Indian Bustard was the mascot ("Gibi"), and the GIB and Bengal florican were added to Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species
• Protected areas and community reserves in Banni, Desert NP, Velavadar and the Deccan grasslands
• Revival of community commons such as orans and gochars in Rajasthan
• Removal of invasive species and restoration of Shola grasslands in Nilgiris and Kerala

20 MCQs on Grassland and Scrubland Ecosystems of India

Q1. Who classified the grasslands of India into five major grass cover types?
(a) Champion and Seth
(b) Dabadghao and Shankarnarayan
(c) G.S. Puri
(d) Salim Ali

Answer: (b) – Dabadghao and Shankarnarayan gave this classification in 1973.

Q2. The Sehima–Dichanthium grass cover type is mainly found in:
(a) Thar desert
(b) Brahmaputra valley
(c) Peninsular India and the Deccan plateau
(d) Ladakh

Answer: (c) – It covers the peninsular plateau, Chota Nagpur and central India.

Q3. The Phragmites–Saccharum–Imperata type of grassland is typical of:
(a) Alpine Himalaya
(b) Flood-prone Gangetic and Brahmaputra plains
(c) Rann of Kutch
(d) Nilgiri hills

Answer: (b) – These are tall, moist grasslands of the Terai and river plains.

Q4. Banni grassland is located in which district?
(a) Jaisalmer
(b) Kutch
(c) Barmer
(d) Bhavnagar

Answer: (b) – Banni lies in Kutch, Gujarat, on the edge of the Great Rann.

Q5. Which invasive species is the biggest threat to the Banni grassland?
(a) Lantana camara
(b) Water hyacinth
(c) Prosopis juliflora
(d) Parthenium

Answer: (c) – Prosopis juliflora (gando baval) has spread over large parts of Banni.

Q6. Shola grasslands are found in:
(a) Eastern Ghats
(b) High-altitude Western Ghats
(c) Aravalli hills
(d) Shivalik hills

Answer: (b) – Sholas occur in the Nilgiris, Anamalai and Palani hills.

Q7. "Bugyals" are alpine meadows found in:
(a) Jammu & Kashmir
(b) Sikkim
(c) Uttarakhand
(d) Arunachal Pradesh

Answer: (c) – Examples include Bedni, Auli and Dayara Bugyal.

Q8. Sewan grass (Lasiurus sindicus) is an important fodder grass of:
(a) Terai region
(b) Thar desert
(c) Western Ghats
(d) Sundarbans

Answer: (b) – Sewan grass is the key grass of the arid Thar grasslands.

Q9. The Great Indian Bustard is the state bird of:
(a) Gujarat
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Madhya Pradesh

Answer: (c) – The GIB is Rajasthan's state bird and is Critically Endangered.

Q10. Desert National Park is spread over which districts?
(a) Bikaner and Churu
(b) Jaisalmer and Barmer
(c) Jodhpur and Nagaur
(d) Kutch and Banaskantha

Answer: (b) – It is the main stronghold of the Great Indian Bustard.

Q11. "Kharmor" is the local name of which bird?
(a) Great Indian Bustard
(b) Bengal Florican
(c) Lesser Florican
(d) Sarus Crane

Answer: (c) – Sailana Kharmor Sanctuary in Ratlam (MP) is named after it.

Q12. The Bengal Florican is mainly found in:
(a) Thar desert
(b) Deccan plateau
(c) Terai-Duar and Brahmaputra grasslands
(d) Ladakh

Answer: (c) – It lives in tall wet grasslands such as Dudhwa, Manas and Kaziranga.

Q13. Which national park of West Bengal is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros?
(a) Sundarbans
(b) Neora Valley
(c) Jaldapara
(d) Singalila

Answer: (c) – Jaldapara in Alipurduar protects Terai-Duar grassland with rhinos.

Q14. Eravikulam National Park, known for the Nilgiri tahr, is in:
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) Karnataka
(c) Kerala
(d) Goa

Answer: (c) – It protects Shola grasslands in Idukki district, Kerala.

Q15. The pygmy hog, the smallest wild pig, is associated mainly with:
(a) Manas National Park
(b) Gir National Park
(c) Ranthambore
(d) Bandipur

Answer: (a) – It lives in the tall grasslands of Manas, Assam.

Q16. Velavadar National Park in Gujarat is famous for:
(a) Asiatic lion
(b) Blackbuck
(c) Wild ass
(d) Great Indian Bustard

Answer: (b) – It is a grassland park in the Bhal region known for blackbuck.

Q17. The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary is located in:
(a) Great Rann of Kutch
(b) Little Rann of Kutch
(c) Thar desert
(d) Changthang

Answer: (b) – The khur (Indian wild ass) survives in the Little Rann.

Q18. In the Champion and Seth classification, Tropical Thorn Forests belong to:
(a) Group 3
(b) Group 5
(c) Group 6
(d) Group 7

Answer: (c) – Group 6 is Tropical Thorn Forests; Group 7 is Tropical Dry Evergreen.

Q19. Tropical dry evergreen forest/scrub in India is mainly found along the:
(a) Konkan coast
(b) Malabar coast
(c) Coromandel coast
(d) Kathiawar coast

Answer: (c) – It depends on the north-east (retreating) monsoon rainfall.

Q20. The Changthang plateau, a cold desert steppe, is known for which animal?
(a) Nilgiri tahr
(b) Kiang (Tibetan wild ass)
(c) Swamp deer
(d) Chinkara

Answer: (b) – Changthang in Ladakh is also home to Changpa nomads and Pashmina goats.

Conclusion

India's grasslands and scrublands are living ecosystems, not wastelands. From the tall rhino grasslands of the Dooars to the sewan grass of the Thar and the Shola mosaics of the Nilgiris, each one supports unique wildlife and pastoral cultures. For exams, focus on the five grass cover types, local names (Bugyal, Marg, Shola, Banni, Chaur), the three bustard-family birds and the protected areas linked to each grassland. Revise the memory tricks above once more before your exam.