CRCritically Endangered

Crested Hair-grass

Koeleria macrantha

Unknown

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Koeleria macrantha is a species of grass known by the common name prairie Junegrass in North America and crested hair-grass in the UK. It is widespread across much of Eurasia and North America. It occurs in many habitat types.

Prairie Koeler's Grass faces severe threats from habitat conversion of native grasslands to agriculture and urban development, which has dramatically reduced available prairie ecosystems. Invasive species competition and altered fire regimes further degrade remaining habitat quality, while climate change threatens to shift suitable growing conditions beyond the species' current range.
Threat summary

Habitat

Native prairie grasslands, dry meadows, and open slopes with well-drained soils, typically in areas with natural or managed fire cycles. Also found in disturbed grassland edges and restored prairie sites at various elevations.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Poaceae

Small Sweet-grass

Glyceria declinata

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Crested Hair-grass classified as Critically Endangered?

Crested Hair-grass is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Prairie Koeler's Grass faces severe threats from habitat conversion of native grasslands to agriculture and urban development, which has dramatically reduced available prairie ecosystems. Invasive species competition and altered fire regimes further degrade remaining habitat quality, while climate change threatens to shift suitable growing conditions beyond the species' current range.

Where does Crested Hair-grass live?

Crested Hair-grass occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Crested Hair-grass?

The main threats to Crested Hair-grass are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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