Thar
Desert
The Great Indian Desert or Thar Desert is generally known, is a fascinating
area. It has taken its name from the word Tahl that in local dialect is the term
for the sandy ridges of the dunes. The Thar Desert in spite of the inhospitable
climate is not an endless stretch of sand, devoid of life and vegetarian. It is
a living and dynamic eco-system. It is actually one of the most populous deserts
of the world. In order to preserve its geo-morphological features, fauna and flora
and to continuously study and understand their ecology under undisturbed desert
conditions, an area of about 3,126 sq. kilometers.
The plants in the desert
also have to adopt various strategies to endure the intense heat, bitter cold
and long dry spells. To reduce the water by evaporation the leaves of these plants
are reduced in size, as is the case of khejri (Prosopis cinerara) with relatively
few stomataon them. Some species like kair (Cappairs dedicua) and phog (Calligonum
polkygonides) do away with the leaves altogether and develop stomata on the green
stems which perform the work of photosynthesis. Sevan is one of the hardiest plants
to grow in the Thar Desert. This perennial grass can stand long periods of drought.
Wildlife In Thar DesertSome wildlife species, which are fast
vanishing in other parts of India, are found in the desert in large numbers such
as the great Indian bustard, the black buck, the Indian gazelle, and the wild
ass in the Rann of Kutch. How these animals and insects survive in these harsh
conditions, under such high temperature and without drinking water and green vegetation
is amazing. They have evolved excellent survival strategies, their size is smaller
than other similar animals living in different conditions, and they are mainly
nocturnal. There are certain other factors responsible for the survival of these
animals in the desert. Due to the lack of water in this region, transformation
of the grasslands into cropland has been very slow.The protection provided to
them by a local community, the Bishnois is also a factor.
