The Mosaic Steppe, Lapis Darts and Aurocholo.
Wanted to share a bit about my Monster Hunter-inspired spec-evo fantasy world, starting with a little bit about a region called the Mosaic Steppe, specifically what I definitively have in mind and not including stuff I'm currently workshopping.
The Mosaic Steppe is a region defined by its blend of deciduous forests, open grasslands and towering mesas; this blend of environments is what earns the region its name. The grass in the plains of the Steppe grows and spreads rapidly due to competition with another species of shrub-like grass (that idea came after I drew the Steppe). This abundant food source combined with the diversity of habitats makes the Mosaic Steppe an incredibly productive ecosystem home to a large plethora of animals a la Pleistocene North America.
The reason for this diversity in flora is due to an endemic bird species called the Lapis Dart, so named because of the males’ blue coloration (the one pictured is holding a grass seedhead). Living in nomadic flocks numbering in the billions like the extinct Passenger Pigeon, they travel across the Steppe to feed on the fruits, nuts and grains of the region’s flora, spreading the seeds wherever they go. While seed dispersal is widespread in birds and thus shouldn’t be of note here, the sheer numbers that Lapis Darts live in makes them a keystone species on the Mosaic Steppe.
While permanent forests do exist on the Steppe, the Lapis Darts basically ensure that temporary groves pop up randomly in the plains, causing them to be an ever shifting environment. You might be wondering why the region hasn't turned into a gigantic forest. The reason is large, open-country megafauna such as the Aurocholo.
Aurocholo are massive, bison-like animals known for their bad temper and massive horns. Due to their gigantic size, Aurocholo are mixed feeders, consuming any low-to-the-ground plant material, tilling the soil for new growth with their horns. Occasionally, Aurocholo tend to knock down trees, usually either for food or from use as a scratching post. This prevents forest encroachment and keeps the plains of the Mosaic Steppe open.
That's pretty much it, but I believe there are a few things I should point out. The two most important things being that magic doesn't exist in my world and that people are gonna be a thing. I'm just focusing on the world's biosphere first because the humans and other sapient races of my world are another kettle of fish.
Secondly, my world is most likely gonna have some Warhammer 40k levels of detailed lore (mostly ecology), so because of that, I'm planning on treating every biome in my world like it's own worldbuilding project; the Mosaic Steppe being my main priority right now.