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Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

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Tristan Da Cunha-Gough Islands shrub and grasslands

Biome

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

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Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Yellow-nosed albatrosses on pedestal nests among tussock grass and Blechnum tree ferns, Nightingale Island.

Region photo - Brian Gratwicke / Wikimedia Commons - CC BY 2.0; attribution required.

Tristan Da Cunha-Gough Islands shrub and grasslands

This remote ecoregion covers the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, including Tristan, Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands, together with Gough Island, a cluster of volcanic islands in the far South Atlantic that form part of the United Kingdom overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, roughly midway between Africa and South America. Vegetation is sharply zoned by altitude: coastal tussock grassland of Sporobolus mobberleyanus and Poa flabellata withstands constant salt spray, giving way between about 300 and 500 metres to fern bush dominated by the fern Histiopteris incisa, the tree fern Blechnum palmiforme, and the island Cape myrtle (Phylica arborea), with wet heath of Empetrum rubrum and Sphagnum peat bogs at higher, wetter elevations. The climate is cool-temperate and oceanic, with mean temperatures around 11 to 15 degrees Celsius and little seasonal change, though rainfall ranges from roughly 1,676 millimetres on Tristan to about 3,397 millimetres on Gough. The islands harbour over sixty endemic plant taxa and some of the world's most important seabird colonies, including the critically endangered Tristan albatross, and Gough and Inaccessible Islands are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and managed as an IUCN Category I wildlife reserve. For gardeners in mild maritime climates, the native island Cape myrtle (Phylica arborea) stands out as a hardy evergreen shrub or small tree adapted to wind and salt.

RESOLVE 68

Afrotropic

65 sq mi

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

Landscape type

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

Plant region

Afrotropic

Region footprint

65 sq mi

Habitat pressure

Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)

Source & care

Plants that can handle this region

Plotwright does not have climate-fit plant matches for this region yet. As the catalog grows into this climate band, suggestions will appear here.

Similar planting regions

Browse other regions in the same biome. Their plant lists can suggest species and combinations worth comparing.

Phylica arborea scrub and tussock grass on Île Amsterdam, southern Indian Ocean.

RESOLVE 67 - Afrotropic

Amsterdam-Saint Paul Islands temperate grasslands

This tiny temperate-grassland ecoregion covers Île Amsterdam and Île Saint-Paul, two remote French volcanic islands in the southern Indian Ocean lying roughly 3,000 km from any continent, in the open ocean between Australia, Antarctica, and southern Africa. At lower elevations the volcanic slopes are clothed in tussock grasslands and sedge meadows, while Amsterdam Island also harbors the small evergreen tree Phylica, the only native tree, growing among ferns; shrubs, bogs, and mosses take over on the higher plateau. The climate is cool and oceanic, with mild temperatures that swing only narrowly between winter and summer, abundant year-round rainfall near 1,100 mm, persistent westerly winds, and high humidity. As an isolated island system it combines relatively few species with high endemism, and it is a vital breeding ground for seabirds, subantarctic fur seals, and penguins; its flagship is the critically endangered, endemic Amsterdam albatross, with only about 30 breeding pairs in a given year. Past woodland clearing by whalers and sealers and introduced grazing animals (since removed) reshaped the native vegetation, and several endemic birds have already been lost since human arrival.

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

27 sq mi

NNH tier 4

Rocky Hajar foothill landscape near Al Hoota, Oman, with sparse xeric shrubs and trees.

RESOLVE 722 - Palearctic

Al-Hajar foothill xeric woodlands and shrublands

The Al-Hajar foothill xeric woodlands and shrublands wrap around the lower flanks of Arabia's Hajar Mountains, spanning Oman and the United Arab Emirates from Jalan Bani Buhassan in southern Oman north to Khasab and the area south of the Musandam peninsula. Below the cooler montane belt, this is a hot, hyper-arid country of rocky slopes and gravel plains, where Acacia tortilis is the dominant tree and the Al Saleel area holds one of the largest tracts of Acacia in Arabia. Wadis that hold a little more moisture support ghaf, wild almond, Wonderboom fig, and Christ's thorn jujube. Despite the harsh conditions the ecoregion carries a high proportion of rare and endemic species and remains a stronghold for the Arabian tahr, its flagship animal, alongside Arabian gazelle, caracal, and Blanford's fox. For gardeners in similar dry climates, its drought-hardy natives such as Acacia and jujube point to plants suited to heat and scarce rainfall.

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

RESOLVE 723 - Palearctic

Al-Hajar montane woodlands and shrublands

The Al-Hajar montane woodlands and shrublands cover the highest reaches of the Hajar Mountains in eastern Arabia, spanning portions of northern Oman and the United Arab Emirates above roughly 1,200 metres, including the summit area around Jebel Shams. Vegetation shifts with elevation: olive and Sideroxylon (Monotheca) woodlands occupy the lower montane belt, while open woodlands of Zeravschan juniper (Juniperus seravschanica) characterize the high peaks, often mixed with wild olive and watered by acacias and figs along seasonal watercourses. Despite being wetter than the surrounding foothills, it remains a mountain desert with low annual rainfall, hot summers, and cool winters that bring occasional rain, hail, and snow to the highest ground. The juniper woodlands are a botanical stronghold, holding a large share of Oman's total flora along with a number of endemic plant taxa, and the range shelters the endemic Arabian tahr (Arabitragus jayakari) plus several endemic lizards; overgrazing by goats and camels and climate-driven juniper decline are leading conservation concerns. For gardeners, the native flora here illustrates how junipers and olives can anchor a drought-tolerant, cold-snap-resilient mountain planting.

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

RESOLVE 721 - Palearctic

Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe

The Alai–Western Tian Shan steppe stretches across the lowland and loess plains at the western foot of the Tien Shan and Alay mountains in Central Asia, spanning parts of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. It belongs to the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, where ephemeroid herb and grass vegetation dominates alongside coniferous Juniperus woodlands and relict fruit and nut forests; characteristic steppe plants include bulbous meadow-grass (Poa bulbosa), sedges (Carex), wormwoods (Artemisia), and wild ryes (Elymus). The climate is sharply continental, with hot, dry summers, mild winters, a wide annual temperature swing, and only modest precipitation. The region is botanically rich, with more than 2,000 recorded plant species, and it serves as a recognized centre of crop diversity holding important wild relatives of cultivated plants; the critically endangered Saiga antelope is its flagship animal. For gardeners, the area's native junipers and its wealth of wild fruit and nut relatives reflect a flora long tied to cultivation.

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

RESOLVE 724 - Palearctic

Altai steppe and semi-desert

The Altai steppe and semi-desert spans parts of Kazakhstan, China, and Russia, forming a transition zone between the conifer forests of the Altai Mountains and the drier Kazakh plains, with the upper Irtysh River and the Tarbagatay Mountains as landmarks. Grasslands dominate, characterized by fescue and feather-grass (Stipa) along with hardy shrubs, while poplar and willow line the watercourses. The climate is sharply continental, with short warm summers and long, cold, dry winters (a humid continental, warm-summer Dfb type). The region's dry grasslands support birds of prey, including endangered steppe eagles, saker falcons, and eastern imperial eagles, alongside the demoiselle crane and mammals such as Altai marmots and the elusive Pallas's cat. Much of the ecoregion remains lightly developed and used mainly for livestock grazing, though overgrazing and agricultural pressure are the main threats, with formal protection still limited.

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

RESOLVE 385 - Nearctic

California Central Valley grasslands

The California Central Valley grasslands fill the long lowland between the Sierra Nevada to the east and the Coast Ranges to the west, spanning the Sacramento Valley in the north and the San Joaquin Valley in the south. The climate is Mediterranean, with most rain falling in winter and conditions growing drier from north to south and on the western, rain-shadowed side. Historically a mosaic of perennial bunchgrass prairie, oak savanna, vernal pools, and riparian woodland, the region is now largely converted to farmland and dominated by introduced annual grasses. It is one of North America's most altered grasslands: less than 1% of native grassland remains and only about 4% is protected.

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

Educator packet

Region packet

Tristan Da Cunha-Gough Islands shrub and grasslands educator packet

This remote ecoregion covers the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, including Tristan, Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands, together with Gough Island, a cluster of volcanic islands in the far South Atlantic that form part of the United Kingdom overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, roughly midway between Africa and South America. Vegetation is sharply zoned by altitude: coastal tussock grassland of Sporobolus mobberleyanus and Poa flabellata withstands constant salt spray, giving way between about 300 and 500 metres to fern bush dominated by the fern Histiopteris incisa, the tree fern Blechnum palmiforme, and the island Cape myrtle (Phylica arborea), with wet heath of Empetrum rubrum and Sphagnum peat bogs at higher, wetter elevations. The climate is cool-temperate and oceanic, with mean temperatures around 11 to 15 degrees Celsius and little seasonal change, though rainfall ranges from roughly 1,676 millimetres on Tristan to about 3,397 millimetres on Gough. The islands harbour over sixty endemic plant taxa and some of the world's most important seabird colonies, including the critically endangered Tristan albatross, and Gough and Inaccessible Islands are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and managed as an IUCN Category I wildlife reserve. For gardeners in mild maritime climates, the native island Cape myrtle (Phylica arborea) stands out as a hardy evergreen shrub or small tree adapted to wind and salt.

Realm

Afrotropic

Dominant biome

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands

Approximate area

65 square miles

States / provinces

Not recorded

Climate descriptor

Not recorded

Classroom prompts

- Which climate and biome facts explain why this region supports its characteristic plants?

- How do native-plant and wildlife-support claims differ from a species-presence claim?

- Which source-backed facts would you cite before using this region in a classroom map activity?

Use the Sources & citations section below for page citation styles and region source links.

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or regional planting notes that use this Plotwright page. To cite the underlying ecoregion framework or a specific editorial profile, use the source cards below.

Plotwright. (n.d.). Tristan Da Cunha-Gough Islands shrub and grasslands (Tristan Da Cunha-Gough Islands shrub and grasslands). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/regions/resolve-68

Sources for this region

This page cites Plotwright first for the compiled view, then lists the upstream framework, climate, and editorial source pages so readers can cite the original material directly.

RESOLVE 2017 Terrestrial Ecoregions (Dinerstein et al.)

Primary ecoregion framework

One Earth

Wikipedia

Wikimedia Foundation

Open source

Source guide