Pariksha SaathiLesson 7 of 10 · Rajasthan General Knowledge
Climate, Soils, Forests and Wildlife of Rajasthan
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Climate type
Most of Rajasthan has a dry tropical climate, arid in the west and semi-arid in the centre, becoming sub-humid in the south-east and humid around Mount Abu and the far south. Summers are fierce: Phalodi recorded 51 degrees Celsius on 19 May 2016, setting a new all-time record for India. Hot, dry winds called loo blow in May and June, and dust storms (andhi) are common in the north-west. Winters are cold and dry, with frost in the north; western disturbances bring light winter rain called mawath, valuable for rabi crops.
The rainfall gradient
Rain comes mainly from the south-west monsoon between late June and September. The Arabian Sea branch runs parallel to the Aravallis and drops little rain in the west, while the Bay of Bengal branch, arriving from the east, gives most of the state's rain. So rainfall decreases from south-east to north-west: the south and south-east, such as Jhalawar and Banswara, are wettest, Mount Abu receives more rain than any other place in the state, and Jaisalmer is the driest district. The 50 cm isohyet runs roughly along the Aravallis, and the 25 cm isohyet separates the arid west from the semi-arid zone. Rainfall also varies greatly from year to year, which is why droughts and famines recur in the desert.
Soils
Western Rajasthan has sandy desert soils (aridisols and entisols), low in nitrogen and organic matter and quick to drain, suited to bajra, moth and guar. The east has fertile alluvial soils in the Banas and Chambal plains (wheat and mustard), the south has red loamy soils good for maize, and the Hadoti plateau has black soil suited to soybean and cotton. Alkaline and saline soils are treated with gypsum. Wind erosion is the main problem in the desert, gully erosion in the Chambal ravines, and waterlogging (sem) in the Indira Gandhi Canal area. The Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), set up at Jodhpur in 1959, studies desert land use and the fixing of shifting sand.
Forests
Forests cover only a small part of the state. In the west are tropical thorn forests of khejri, babool, rohida, ker and phog; in the Aravallis and the east are tropical dry deciduous forests, where dhok (Anogeissus pendula) is the most common tree; teak forests grow in the south around Banswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur; bamboo grows in the south and south-east; and a little sub-tropical evergreen forest survives only on Mount Abu. Sewan and dhaman grasses cover the desert pastures. Sacred groves called orans, protected by village custom, are an old form of community conservation.
Tiger reserves and national parks
Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur), among the first reserves under Project Tiger in 1973, became a national park in 1980 and is famous for tigers seen among the ruins of its fort. Sariska (Alwar) became a tiger reserve in 1978; after its tigers were wiped out by poaching, tigers were moved there from Ranthambore in 2008, the first such relocation in India. Mukundra Hills, around Kota, was declared a tiger reserve in 2013. Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur, a wetland once kept as a duck-shooting reserve by the Bharatpur rulers, was named a Ramsar site in 1981, later became a national park and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985; it was the wintering ground of the Siberian crane. The Desert National Park (about 3,162 sq km) in Jaisalmer and Barmer protects the great Indian bustard, a critically endangered bird, and contains the Akal Wood Fossil Park with tree fossils about 180 million (18 crore) years old.
Other sanctuaries
Tal Chhapar in Churu is known for blackbuck and migratory birds of prey; Sita Mata in Pratapgarh for the flying squirrel; Kumbhalgarh for wolves; the National Chambal Sanctuary for gharials; the Mount Abu sanctuary for its hill flora; and Jaisamand and Darrah for forest wildlife. At Khichan near Phalodi, villagers feed thousands of demoiselle cranes (kurja) every winter. Chinkara and blackbuck survive in good numbers near Bishnoi villages because the community protects them.
The Bishnoi tradition and Khejarli
Guru Jambheshwar (Jambhoji) founded the Bishnoi sect in 1485 at Samrathal near Bikaner, giving 29 rules (bis-noi, that is twenty-nine) that include protecting trees and animals; his samadhi at Mukam near Nokha is their chief shrine. In 1730, men sent by Maharaja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur came to Khejarli village near Jodhpur to cut khejri trees for lime kilns. Amrita Devi Bishnoi hugged a tree and was killed, and before the cutting stopped 363 Bishnois in all, men, women and children, including her, had given their lives. The ruler then banned tree-felling and hunting in Bishnoi villages. Khejarli is remembered as a forerunner of the Chipko movement, and a national award for wildlife protection bears Amrita Devi's name.
Key facts
- Phalodi, 19 May 2016: 51 degrees Celsius, a new all-time high temperature record for India.
- Rainfall decreases from south-east to north-west; Mount Abu is the wettest place, Jaisalmer the driest district; winter rain from western disturbances is called mawath.
- The 25 cm isohyet separates arid from semi-arid; the 50 cm isohyet runs roughly along the Aravallis.
- Soils: sandy desert soil in the west, alluvial in the east, red loam in the south, black soil in Hadoti; waterlogging in the canal area is called sem.
- Dhok is the most common forest tree; teak grows in the south; sub-tropical evergreen forest is found only on Mount Abu.
- Ranthambore: Project Tiger 1973, national park 1980; Sariska: tiger reserve 1978, tigers relocated in 2008; Mukundra Hills: tiger reserve 2013.
- Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur): Ramsar site 1981, UNESCO World Heritage 1985; former wintering ground of the Siberian crane.
- Desert National Park (Jaisalmer-Barmer, about 3,162 sq km): great Indian bustard and the Akal Wood Fossil Park.
- Tal Chhapar: blackbuck; Sita Mata: flying squirrel; Khichan: demoiselle cranes (kurja); CAZRI at Jodhpur (1959).
- Khejarli 1730: 363 Bishnois, led by Amrita Devi, died protecting khejri trees; Jambhoji founded the Bishnoi sect in 1485 with 29 rules.
Quick revision
Arid west, semi-arid centre, sub-humid south-east; Phalodi 51°C on 19 May 2016; loo, andhi, mawath; rain falls from south-east to north-west, Mount Abu wettest, Jaisalmer driest; 25 cm and 50 cm isohyets; sandy, alluvial, red and black soils, sem; dhok commonest tree; Ranthambore 1973, Sariska 2008 relocation, Mukundra 2013; Keoladeo UNESCO 1985; Desert NP godawan, Akal fossils; Khejarli 1730, 363 Bishnois, Jambhoji 1485.