Thar Desert

A NASA satellite image of the Thar Desert, with the India-Pakistan border superimposed . The desert is at the center left of the image; the Indus River and its tributaries are to the left side of the desert, and the dark green line at the bottom center of the image is the Aravalli Range.

The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, encompasses 77,000 square miles of rolling sand dunes in Pakistan and the Indian state of Rajasthan. Small portions of the desert also extend into the Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat, but these states do not exercise extensive control over the region. The Thar Desert is defined by a serious of natural borders, including the Aravalli Mountain Range to the southeast and the Punjab plain in the north and northeast. To the west lies the Indus plain, and to the south the Rann of Kutch. The geographic isolation of the Thar Desert by mountain ranges and plains contributes significantly to the weather patterns that shape its distinctive hot dry environment. The environment around the Thar effectively absorbs all the rain that is carried in the monsoon clouds before the clouds can reach the desert. The resulting monsoon winds in the desert are hot and dry, and the desert does not share in the wet season experienced in surrounding terrains.

Geography

File:Nahaar Garh Fort.jpg

The desert city of Jaipur, Rajasthan

Natural Features

The Thar Desert is distinguished by a series of rolling sand dunes, that vary in height across the desert. While sand dunes are a common occurrence in deserts across the world, the dunes of the Thar are remarkable for their continual motion. In sharp contrast to the mountain ranges that ring the desert, the sandy desert floor is always in motion. The perpetual movement of the desert, while contributing the the desert's beauty, has had a prohibitive effect for permanent human settlement, as the sands can easily be blown over structures. The sands are particularly mobile due to severe winds in the region, that sweep the sands over areas of fertile soil. The layer of sand over much of the available farming land hinders agricultural development in the region. Some of the sand dunes of the Thar have become semi stabilized over time, and while not completely sedentary, these older dunes only move very small degrees. Older sand dunes can reach a height of 500 feet.

Dotted among the sands of the Thar, several salt water lakes provide a unique and welcome environment for desert dwelling creatures. While the contents of the lakes cannot be directly drunk by humans, the area provide much needed shelter and viable farmland. The abundance of salt water, however, also serves to highlight the extreme lack of drinkable water in the Thar Desert. Annual rainfall in the region is particularly low, measuring from 4-20 inches, most of which falls during the monsoon season. It is difficult to estimate annual precipitation for the Thar Desert however, as rainfall often varies wildly from year to year.

Vegetation

Desert tribes near Jaisalmer, India

The harsh natural environment and extreme temperature variations found in the Thar Desert have combined to severely inhibit the growth of vegetation. Most of the native plants grow in small clumps, without a system of order regulating where the clumps grow or any standard number of plants in a vegetation grouping. The plants which have been most successful in the difficult environment have adapted to the conditions of the desert. It is important in particular for plants to have e developed water shortage systems to be able to provide much needed water to themselves during the dry season. Significant plants of the desert include gum Arabic acacia and euphorbia. However, these plants are only found on the rocky slopes of the hills.

Wildlife

The Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India

Due to the large number of ecosystems that exist within the Thar Desert, a diverse and thriving wildlife population calls the desert their home. The most notable example of a preserved ecosystem is the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, which provides an excellent example of the natural wildlife of the region. In this park Great Indian Bustards, Blackbucks, Chinkaras, and Desert Foxes are common. Despite the apparent difficulty of life in the desert, the animals in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer have found ways to adapt and thrive. In fact, the park supports wild and naturally occurring populations of species that are threatened with existence elsewhere in India. The reserve is also noted for rich seashell and petrified wood deposits.

The animals which are found in the Desert National Park exhibit many of the adaptations that are necessary for survival in the desert. These animals, along with those animals found outside the reserve, often exhibit a smaller body size, one example of biological adaptation to the region. In addition, many of the desert animals are nocturnal, a trait which allows them to avoid the sweltering heat of the day.

Conservation

The Thar Desert faces a distinct environmental threat from the loss of land through wind erosion. The harsh winds of the Thar sweep the sands across the plains and into its awe inspiring sand dune formations. However, the winds also erode valuable farming land and threaten livestock grazing areas. In an attempt to hinder the wind erosion, plants species and trees have been planted in many areas to help keep the sands attached to the ground. The new windbreaks also provide much needed shelter.

Checking of shifting sand dunes through plantations of Acacia tortillis near Laxmangarh town

In order to plant the necessary windbreaks, it has become necessary to import exotic plants into the region. The native plants are noted for their slow growth patterns, and windbreaks must mature quickly to be fully effective. The Acacia tortillis has proven most adaptable to the Thar. While the induction of foreign plants is helping the wind erosion issues, the introduction of exotic plants into any environment threatens to overthrow the pre-existing environmental balance.

People of the Desert

Religiously, the population of the Thar Desert is divided between among Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. The variety of religions in the region has resulted in an extremely intricate system of political and economic ties, often which follow religious lines. Tensions have become more marked in the area, as the population of the region has grown exponentially in recent years. With more people in the desert, agricultural development and extensive animal husbandry have also resulted. Grazing and farming, however, are beginning to wreck a toll on the desert, and the fertility of the soil is declining as a result.

Overall, the living standard of the Thar is low, as traditional exports have difficulty finding a place in modern markets. One new development that has emerged on the scene to replace traditional methods is the rise of Agro-forestry. Under this new system, many crops and fruit bearing trees have been adapted to provide a steady export to global markets. The use of adapted fruit trees also helps to eradicate the propensity of failure in the region. It is estimated that the use of adapted crop bearing trees can provide up to the triple the traditional profit of a farmer. Significant Agro-forestry species include: Prosopis cineraria, used for animal feed, Tecomella undulata, a valuable source of timber, and Tecomella undulata, used to provide shelter and prevent erosion.

Lopping of Khejri tree for fodder and fuelwood at village Harsawa.

Tecomella undulata tree at the village of Harsawa.

Sources and Further Reading

• Kaul, R. N. 1970. Afforestation in arid zones. Monographiae biologicae, v. 20. The Hague: Junk.
• Gupta, Raj Kumar, and Ishwar Prakash. 1975. Environmental analysis of the Thar Desert. Dehra Dun: English Book Depot.
• Indian Academy of Sciences. 1934. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences. Bangalore City: Indian Academy of Sciences. V. 89, No. 3, pp. 317-331.
• Geological Society of India. 1959. Journal of the Geological Society of India. Bangalore: Geological Society of India. Vol. 21, pp. 461-463.
• Radhakrishna, B. P., and S. S. Merh. 1999. Vedic Sarasvati: evolutionary history of a lost river of northwestern India. Bangalore: Geological Society of India. ISBN 8185867356 and ISBN 9788185867359
• Radhakrishna, B. P., and S. S. Merh. 1999. Vedic Sarasvati: evolutionary history of a lost river of northwestern India. Bangalore: Geological Society of India. ISBN 8185867356 and ISBN 9788185867359
• Kaul, R.N. (1967). Trees or grass lands in the Rajasthan- Old problems and New approaches. Indian Forester, 93: 434-435.
• Burdak, L.R. (1982). Recent Advances in Desert Afforestation- Dissertation submitted to Shri R.N. Kaul, Director, Forestry Research, F.R.I., Dehra dun.
• Bakliwal, P.C. and Grover, A.K. (1988). Signature and migration of Sarasvati river in Thar desert, Western India. Record of the Geological Survey of India. V 116, Pts. 3-8, pp. 77-86.
• Rajesh Kumar, M., Rajawat, A.S. and Singh, T.N. (2005). Applications of remote sensing for educidate the Palaeochannels in an extended Thar desert, Western Rajasthan, 8th annual International conference, Map India 2005, New Delhi.
• Govt. of India. Ministry of Food & Agriculture booklet. (1965)- soil conservation in the Rajasthan Desert- Work of the Desert Afforestation Research station, Jodhpur.
• Lewis, Brenda Ralph. 1999. Great Civilizations. Parragon, Bath. ISBN 0-75256-141-3

External links

• Thar Desert. World Wildlife. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
• Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and the Thar Desert. Travel Tips, Flights and Photos. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
• Ahmed, Munir. Thar — Pakistan’s largest desert of living traditions. Travel-Culture. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
• Jaisalmer the Glory of the Golden Fort. Desert Vision. Retrieved April 28, 2007.

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Thar Desert  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Thar Desert"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.