The savanna covers an area of rolling upland plains on the Guiana Shield between the Amazon and Orinoco basins.

It includes forested areas, but these are shrinking steadily due to the effect of frequent fires, either accidental or deliberate.

The main section adjoins the Guianan piedmont and lowland moist forests ecoregion to the west.

The northern part of the main section adjoins areas of the Guianan Highlands moist forest and Pantepuis ecoregions.

[2] This ecoregion covers gently rolling upland plains of the Roraima formation, sediments that overlay the ancient Guiana Shield basement from the Precambrian era.

[2] The Guianan savanna ecoregion contains relatively intact grasslands within an area of tropical rainforest and sandstone tepuis.

Common species in the meadows are Chalepophyllum guianense, Digomphia laurifolia, Tococa nitens and Poecilandra retusa.

[3] Endangered birds include the sun parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis), Rio Branco antbird (Cercomacra carbonaria), yellow-bellied seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis) and hoary-throated spinetail (Synallaxis kollari).

[6] Endangered mammals include the black bearded saki (Chiropotes satanas) and giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis).

Most endemic species are found in the La Escalera forest, and include Anomaloglossus parkerae, Stefania scalae, Scinax danae, Tepuihyla rodriguezi, and Pristimantis pulvinatus.

[1] The Venezuelan Gran Sabana is contained in the 30,000 square kilometres (12,000 sq mi) Canaima National Park.

[7] The 13,000 square kilometres (5,000 sq mi) Rupununi savannah in Guyana does not have an official protected area status as of 2020.