Track 2-2-2: Plant-Animal Interactions, Grazing Behaviour and Plant Quarantine
Description
Thar Desert in India is very fragile owing to frequent drought and low rainfall which causes extreme stress on biodiversity of region especially on livestock due to limited seasonal grazing resources. Despite inhospitable and harsh climate, as well as anthropogenic pressures, Indian arid zone has 682 species belonging to 352 genera and 87 families. Some 63 species are introduced belonging to 37 genera and 9 families. Compared to other deserts of the world, this desert has higher number of endemic species, i.e. 6.4%. Poaceae and Leguminosae are the largest species. All these species have typical habitat-plant cover relationship resulting in major vegetation types on hills and rock outcrops, piedmonts and pediments, alluvial plains, saline flats, fresh water lakes/talavs, river and stream banks, sandy hummocky plains and sand dunes of varying shapes and sizes. CAZRI has been actively engaged since inception in assessing the status of natural vegetation, its distribution pattern, utilization trends, economic importance and degradation status at district as well as habitat level. Though fairly good understanding exists on progressive successional trends on major habitats but dynamics of retrogressive trends is poorly understood more so in varying rainfall scenarios. Hence, this study was taken up to understand these trends in respect of Lasiurus sindicus, a key grass species along with other associated species in Jaisalmer, in the extreme arid region of India.
Included in
Effect of Sheep Grazing and Rainfall on the Ecology of Lasiurus sindicus-Dominated Grassland in Hot Arid Zone of India
Thar Desert in India is very fragile owing to frequent drought and low rainfall which causes extreme stress on biodiversity of region especially on livestock due to limited seasonal grazing resources. Despite inhospitable and harsh climate, as well as anthropogenic pressures, Indian arid zone has 682 species belonging to 352 genera and 87 families. Some 63 species are introduced belonging to 37 genera and 9 families. Compared to other deserts of the world, this desert has higher number of endemic species, i.e. 6.4%. Poaceae and Leguminosae are the largest species. All these species have typical habitat-plant cover relationship resulting in major vegetation types on hills and rock outcrops, piedmonts and pediments, alluvial plains, saline flats, fresh water lakes/talavs, river and stream banks, sandy hummocky plains and sand dunes of varying shapes and sizes. CAZRI has been actively engaged since inception in assessing the status of natural vegetation, its distribution pattern, utilization trends, economic importance and degradation status at district as well as habitat level. Though fairly good understanding exists on progressive successional trends on major habitats but dynamics of retrogressive trends is poorly understood more so in varying rainfall scenarios. Hence, this study was taken up to understand these trends in respect of Lasiurus sindicus, a key grass species along with other associated species in Jaisalmer, in the extreme arid region of India.
