The Thar Desert, Rajasthan |
The Thar or the Great Indian Desert, as it
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.
Species of wild animals and plants that can adapt to these harsh
climatic and environmental conditions flourish in the area.
Amongst the mammals, chinkara (Gazella gazella), Indian fox,
desert fox, jackal, desert cat, jungle cat and nilgai are common
in the Desert National Park. The area provides suitable conditions
for survival of a number of species of lizards, gerbils and
snakes. The spiny tailed lizards with their prehistoric looks
are quite common in many areas of the Park. Among the snakes
the saw scaled viper, the large rat snake and sand boa are noteworthy.
Most of these animals survive the scarcity of water by adopting
special mechanism so that life can go on without water. They
reduce their physical activity considerably and avoid exposure
to hot winds by keeping in shade of shrubs or by burrowing down
in the sand. Earth has an admirable insulator against heat and
aridity, and an animal burrowing a few centimeters below the
surface will comfortably survive the hottest day and coolest
night. In the Desert National Park the foxes, cats, lizards
and snakes all enter the burrows to avoid the hot and desiccating
air outside. Most of the sunset animals are active in early
morning or after the sun set, when the temperatures are much
lower. The chinkaras, which cannot enter a burrow, go
under the shade of bushes. They can tolerate a rise in body
temperature up to seven degrees above normal without serious
injury to any vital organ. These animals can withstand considerable
haemo-concentrations or blood thickening, which takes plated.
Chinkaras for example can go without water for a number of
days by feeding on green plants like Aak (Calotropics procera)
and obtaining water from its leaves. Similarly, the gerbils,
which serve as staple food for the desert fox and the desert
cats, provide much of the water to these carnivores.
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.
The lesser bustard, locally called tilore is a winter visitor
to the Desert. This bird is also extremely shy. Tilore has not
been observed drinking water on the water hole so far. Foxes
are generally shy of human beings but during the winter months
they are visible throughout the day looking for the gerbils
or just basking in the winter sun. The Thar’s geological
history; based on the study of fossils found in the area is
interesting. The area has been in and out of sea at least
four times during the last two hundred and eighty million
years.
It appears that this area was under sea in the early Triassic
period. The sea withdrew after twenty five million years and
the sediments were uplifted animal fossils of that period
are found in the rocks in many areas.
Again, after about twenty five million years this area came
under the sea. The limestone and the sandstone of Jaisalmer
with their fossils of ammonites were deposited during this
period. During the lower Cretaceous period, between a hundred
and thirty five million years and sixty three million years,
the area became a land mass with forests. It is believed that
the plant fossils of Paliwal village around Jaisalmer belong
to this period. This was followed by yet another invasion
of the sea when the rocks containing marine fossils were deposited.
At the end of the Cretaceous period and in the beginning of
Cenozoic, sixty three million years ago, the sea took over
again and was inhabited by for aminifera or tiny unicellular,
shelled organisms.
Accumulation of their dead bodies at the bottom of the sea
and their slow decomposition is believed to be responsible
for the formation of oil and natural gas in the Thar Desert.
The sea finally withdrew from the area about thirty five million
years ago.
Wood fossils found in Akal near Jaisalmer are the remains of
the forests of cycades and ferns that flourished in the region
during the early Jurassic period, that is about one hundred
and eighty million years ago. At present about twenty five fossilized
tree trunks are lying exposed on the grounds in the Akal wood
fossil park. The largest is about seven meters long and one
and half meter in girth. There are more wood fossils lying deep
under the surface. Evidences of similar fossils are surfacing
in other areas of Jaisalmer region. The whole area is now preserved
as a natural wonder in the Desert.
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