Species in dry grasslands

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Wild herbs, orchids, wild grazing animals, butterflies, reptiles, and birds are all threatened by the loss and change of use of grassland areas. Dry grasslands are the most threatened type of grassland, containing many specialist species which need dry, well-lit conditions to thrive, including:

• Butterflies: of Europe's 576 butterfly species, 71 are under threat. Half of these inhabit grasslands, with one third limited to dry or mesic grasslands.
• Orchids: between a third and a half of all orchid species in the Benelux and France inhabit dry or mesic grasslands, with a high proportion either highly vulnerable or close to extinction.