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This paper highlights the Thar Desert and its ecosystem. The work reviews and presents the natural condition of the Thar Desert within Rajasthan State. The diversity of the vegetation and of higher animals is discussed on the basis of earlier works and surveys. Major problems and conservation issues are presented along with their possible solutions. Recommendations are made for the protection of this...
The Indian hot arid zone, situated largely in western Rajasthan and Kachchh of Gujarat, is subjected to frequent droughts and famines causing high stress on flora and fauna. Annual rainfall in the region varies from 100 to 500 mm and air temperatures from −5.0 to 48°C. Soil temperature decreases sharply by 10–20°C from the surface to depths below 20 cm, particularly during the summer months, improving...
Scarabaeidae (Coprinae) form one of the largest beetle families in the world, and are economically important because of their significant roles in pasture ecosystem dynamics and environmental health. They process large amounts of animal dung into nodules or balls, and roll these into subterraneous chambers or tunnels where they are degraded, thereby increasing soil fertility. In so doing, the beetles...
This paper deals with 35 species of ants distributed under 16 genera of the family Formicidae. The family Formicidae comprises six subfamilies, namely Dorylinae with one genus and two species, Ponerinae with two genera and three species, Pseudomyrmecinae with one genus and two species, Dolichoderinae with one genus and one species, Myrmicinae with six genera and 17 species, and Formicinae with five...
The Thar Desert is the easternmost edge of the Sahara-Arabian Desert zone, covering approximately 280,000km2 and with the highest human population density of any desert worldwide. The Desert National Park (DNP; 25°47′N and 75°15′–70°45′E) encompasses about 3,162km2 in the Jaisalmer District and another 1,262km2 in the Banner District of Rajasthan. The area is situated in the extremely hot, arid region...
The Aravalli Range is the line of demarcation in Rajasthan between the rain-fed and the rain-shadow areas. Thus, ecological conditions differ strongly between these areas. The foothill region is not a continuous range of hills but, rather, these occur scattered in the area. The occurrence of small and large boulders, numerous passages, large forests, barren land, and rivers has resulted in very diverse...
Of the nine species of vultures found in India, seven have been observed in the Great Indian Thar Desert of Rajasthan, viz. the King vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus), Himalayan griffon (Gyps himalayensis), Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) and White-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis). Of these,...
The diversity and abundance of avifauna in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan were studied from May 2000 to May 2003. Line transect and total count methods were used to census the birds. A total of 272 species of birds, belonging to 17 orders and 55 families, were recorded. Of these, 223 species were residents and 49 migrants. Species richness was highest in the month of January, followed by February. The...
Jodhpur is a part of the western arid zone of India and was once considered as capital of the former princely state of Marwar, Rajasthan. It is also a ‘door’ to the Great Indian Desert, the Thar. Ecologically, the fauna and flora represent those of a typical desert. In the recent past, environmental conditions have changed substantially in Jodhpur District, associated with the replacement of several...
The Great Indian Desert, or Thar Desert, is biogeographically the easternmost edge of the Saharan-Arabian desert zone. It is the desert region with the highest human population density in the world, covering approx. 280,000km2. One of the first attempts to promote cultivation in the desert was made by Maharaja Ganga Singh, the ruler of Bikaner State, by bringing water from Sutlej through the Gang...
The Thar Desert is one of the smallest deserts in the world. The origin of the Thar is a controversial subject—some scientists consider it to be 2,000–4,000 years old, while others are of the opinion that it is more than 10,000 years old. Avian diversity in the Thar is quite spectacular, and 364 species of birds have been reported from the region. The significance of this rich diversity of birdlife...
Extensive surveys were carried out from October 2001–September 2004 to assess the eco-status of chiropterans in and around the districts of Jodhpur (26°17′59N, 73°02′02E), Jaisalmer (26°54′47N, 70°54′52E) and Bikaner (28°01′22N, 73° 19′ 13E) in the Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert), India. The population dynamics and distributions of bats were examined at selected sites, revealing that the tremendous...
The Thar Desert, or Great Indian Desert, extends between 20°25′ and 30°30′N and 67° and 75°25′E across four states in India—Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Gujarat. The Rajasthan desert sector occupies about 60% of the total Indian arid region. Climatic conditions are characterised by low erratic rainfall, marked fluctuations in seasonal temperatures (3.4–10°C in winter to 42.0–50.5°C in summer), and...
India’s Thar Desert is a fascinating area. The name ‘Thar’ comes from the word ‘Tahl’ in local dialect, which denotes the sandy ridges of dunes. Despite the Thar Desert’s inhospitable climatic conditions, it provides dynamic microecosystems for various species of vertebrates. A variety of mammalian species of all sizes, ranging from desert rodents to monkeys, occur in and around the desert. However,...
The Indian gazelle or chinkara, Gazella bennettii, is among the six species of antelopes found in India and has a wide distribution in Rajasthan. The Thar Desert of Rajasthan has the maximum numbers of chinkara. A study was conducted to assess the Indian gazelle population in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, from November 1999 to December 2002 when 12 districts were surveyed. The overall estimated population...
Man has always been the single most important factor in any ecosystem and, to a large extent, plays the decisive role as to what will survive in his sphere of activities. The dispersion of 21 larger mammals in the Thar Desert was analysed in the light of this factor, and it was found that the distribution of 15 species has a link with man and/or his activities. The survival of nine species is susceptible...
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