California Central Valley grasslands

The California Central Valley grasslands is a temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in California's Central Valley. It a diverse ecoregion containing areas of desert grassland (at the southern end), prairie, savanna, riparian forest, marsh, several types of seasonal vernal pools, and large lakes such as now-dry Tulare Lake (which was the largest freshwater lake in the United States west of the Mississippi), Buena Vista Lake, and Kern Lake.

The Central Valley has been greatly altered by human activity. Most of the land has been converted to farms, pastureland, or cities. Most of the valley's wetlands have been drained. The introduction of exotic plants, especially grasses, has altered the region's ecology.