· Grasslands represent about 30% of the total agricultural area of Germany, with the prealpine and montane grassland belt in SGermany being one of the largest grassland regions in Germany (> 1 Mio ha) (BMLEV 12)Soils of these montane grasslands, including even larger areas in the adjacent countries of Austria, Switzerland and Italy, store extraordinarily largeThe biome, called "Montane grasslands and shrublands," often evolved as virtual islands, separated from other montane regions by warmer, lower elevation regions, and are frequently home to many distinctive and endemic plants which evolved in response to the cool, wet climate and abundant sunlightWe conclude that montane grasslands can be burnt annually or biennially in the dormant season to promote longterm productivity Keywords aboveground dry matter, crude fibre, crude protein Neotropical Montane Grassland Shrubland Montane grasslands climate