Partner State Resources

Oregon Rangelands

Rangelands are a type of land dominated by some mix of mostly native grasses, forbs (broad leaf plants/wildflowers) and shrubs. Some woodlands are considered rangelands too, particularly if they have relatively open canopies and support a significant understory of grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Oregon’s rangelands occupy over half of the Oregon landscape and range from high/cold desert dominated by sagebrush steppe in southeast Oregon, to ponderosa pine dominated systems in northeast Oregon, expanding juniper woodlands in central Oregon, and coastal grasslands along the south coast of Oregon. An excellent resource to introduce you to Oregon’s rangelands and other ecosystems is The Ecological Provinces of Oregon