Systematic review data from: A climate adaptation menu for North American grasslands

North American grasslands are climate-vulnerable biomes that provide critical ecosystem services and support biodiversity. However, grasslands are often not included in climate policy and treaties, and they are underrepresented in the ecological climate-adaptation literature. We synthesized existing knowledge on climate adaptation in North American grasslands to provide resources and guidance for grassland managers facing increasing climate change impacts. We leveraged data from a systematic review and solicited input from management professionals at workshops to create a Grassland Adaptation Menu—a referenced, hierarchical list of specific grassland management tactics nested under broader climate adaptation strategies. Our review revealed that although the number of published studies examining grassland-climate topics is increasing, relatively few provide actionable recommendations for adaptation. Among studies that did make recommendations, landscape-planning principles such as conserving grasslands in future climate refugia and enhancing connectivity were the most frequently recommended practice types, but there were also suggestions for site-level management such as adjustments to fire and grazing, improved seed-sourcing and restoration practices, increased heterogeneity and biodiversity, use of assisted migration, and management of microclimate conditions. The Grassland Adaption Menu incorporates eight general strategies and 32 approaches in a structured format designed to help managers translate concepts into actions.