The vegetation characteristics are extremely important monitoring, evaluation, and mapping of desertification in grassland. Plant cover is an effective parameter in desertification processes, especially in terms of protecting the soil surface from precipitation, facilitating the passage of water to the soil, and preventing land degradation accordingly. Within this scope, plant and soil samplings were carried out at 40 sampling points in grassland areas with semi-arid climate in cankirt in northeast Turkey. Plant samples were collected during the vegetation period from May until August in 2016-2017. Desertification risk (DR) and environmentally sensitive area index (ESAI) were calculated using the Desertification Indicator System for Mediterranean Europe. Results revealed that desertification risk varied from 4.47 (Moderate DR) to 6.28 (High DR) in the study area. ESAI values ranged between 1.33 (medium fragile) to 1.53 (high critical) depending on the plant cover from May to August. In some sampling points in the study area, ESAI reached a critical level due to the increase in temperature, decrease rainfall and in plant cover in July and August, which is the dry period. With this regard, the plant cover can be used as an indicator parameter in monitoring and evaluating the desertification process of semi-arid grassland.