The Montenegrin landscape is only partly used for intensive agriculture due to its natural conditions and the specific development of agriculture in the past. Intensive farming is practiced only in vicinity of the capital Podgorica and close to urban area of Niksic (second largest city in the country).

In almost all regions of Montenegro the majority of the farming areas are used extensively, and can be regarded as HNV farmland. It is comprised mostly of semi-natural grasslands which are the main part of agricultural land.

A substantial area of the country is covered by semi-natural vegetation communities. For many of these, farming practices, especially the grazing and browsing of livestock, continue to be amongst the dominant factors in their maintenance. Montenegrin herbaceous pastures range from the Alpine grasslands of the highest mountains, through Mediterranean-montane Nardus grasslands1 to dry grasslands on the alluvial plains. The latter are now very restricted in area, found for example on Cemovsko polje, including Karabu?ko, Tu?ko and Dino?ko polje and the lower part of the canyon of the River Cijevna, but they are significant for stone curlew (Burrhinus oedicnemus) and tawny pipit (Anthus campestris). Some of the most extensive areas of mountain pastures are found in the Durmitor region. There are also some important areas of wet pastures and meadows between Plav and Gusinje.