The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is one of the most densely populated hot deserts on the planet. It is the 20th largest desert in the world and the 9th largest hot subtropical desert. Animals such as blue bull, blackbuck, and Indian gazelle are found in these deserts. such as subtropical desert climate and temperature extremes characterize the hot desert ecosystem. This article will explain to you about Hot desert/ Thar desert which will be helpful in preparing the Environment syllabus for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Thar Desert- Distribution

• It forms a natural border between India and Pakistan and is located in the northwestern section of the Indian subcontinent, covering an area of 200,000 km2.
• 85 % of the Thar Desert lies in India and 15 % lies in Pakistan.
• The Thar Desert covers roughly 4.56 % of India's total land area.
• More than 60% of the desert is located in the Indian state of Rajasthan; the Indian portion also includes Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana.
• The Pakistani portion covers the provinces of Sindh and Punjab (the portion in the latter province is referred to as the Cholistan Desert).

Location of Thar Desert

Thar Desert - Climate

• The climate is subtropical and arid.
• The average temperature varies by season, with extremes ranging from near-freezing in the winter to over 50 degrees Celsius in the summer.
• The hottest months of the year are May and June, with temperatures reaching 122°F (50°C).
• The southwest monsoon season runs from July through September, with yearly rainfall ranging from 100 to 500 mm.
• The desert is divided into two sections: a very dry section (the Marusthali region in the west) and a semidesert section (in the east) with fewer sand dunes and slightly more rainfall.
• The mean minimum temperature in January, the coldest month, is between 41 and 50 °F (5 and 10 °C), and frost is common.

Thar Desert- Precipitation

• The desert receives very little annual rainfall, ranging from less than 4 inches (100 mm) in the west to more than 20 inches (500 mm) in the east.
• The amount of precipitation varies greatly from year to year.
• The southwest monsoon season, which runs from July through September, accounts for over 90% of total annual rainfall (see also Indian monsoon) in the desert.
• During other seasons, the dry northeast monsoon is the dominant wind.

Thar Desert- Soil

• Desert soils, red desert soils, sierozems (brownish-grey soils), red and yellow soils of the foothills, saline soils of the depressions, and lithosols (shallow weathered soils) and regosols (soft loose soils) found in the hills are among the primary kinds of soils.
• All of the soils are calcareous, coarse-textured, and well-drained (calcium-bearing). A thick layer of lime can be seen at various depths.
• The soils are often barren and overgrown with sand due to heavy wind erosion.

Thar Desert- Flora

• The extreme climate has an impact on the vegetation,.
• Xerophilous plants, which are adapted to growing in dry environments, make up the limited vegetation.
• Grass and scrub-type vegetation of low trees such as Acacia, Prosopis, Tamarix, and Zizyphus are among them.
• These trees have little waxy leaves that minimise evapotranspiration and conserve water in hot and dry climates.
• Calligonum polygon sides, Prosopis cineraria, Acacia nilotica, Tamarix aphylla, and Cenchrus biflorus are among the endemic floral species.

Thar Desert- Fauna

• Some wildlife species such as the blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), chinkara (Gazella bennettii), and Indian wild ass (Equus hemionus khur) can be found in huge numbers.
• Other animals found in the Thar Desert include a red fox subspecies (Vulpes vulpes pusilla) and the caracal, as well as a variety of reptiles.
• Harriers, falcons, buzzards, kestrels, vultures, short-toed eagles (Circaetus gallicus), tawny eagles (Aquila rapax), larger spotted eagles (Aquila clanga), and laggar falcons are among the 141 species of migratory and resident desert birds that call the region home (Falco jugger).
• In the Thar region, the Indian peafowl is a permanent breeder.
• In villages and Deblina, it can be spotted sitting on khejri or pipal trees.

Near Threatened Laggar falcon

Thar Desert- People

• The majority of desert residents live in rural areas and are spread out in varied densities.
• The Thar has a wide ethnic mix.
• The Rajputs, who live in the central Thar, are one of the most prominent groups.
• Many nomads work in the animal husbandry, crafts, or trade industries.
• In general, nomads and the sedentary people and the economy are mutually beneficial.

Thar Desert- Economy

• The desert's primary natural resources are grasses.
• They provide nourishing pasture as well as medicines for the local population.
• Alkaloids, which are used to make medicine, and oils, which are used to make soap, are also removed.
• In the Thar, there are five prominent cattle breeds.
• The Tharparkar breed produces the most milk, and the Kankre breed is suitable as both a beast of burden and a milk producer.
• Sheep are bred to produce both fine and coarse wool.
• Camels are frequently employed for transportation as well as ploughing and other agricultural tasks.
• Farmers plant crops like wheat and cotton where there is water.

Conclusion

The Thar Desert's water supply is valuable and limited. Water must be managed wisely and responsibly in the desert, which receives only 120-240 mm of rain per year. Mining, farming, and tourism, as well as the economy, would be impossible to develop without water. Over-irrigation has resulted in waterlogging in some regions of the desert. The surplus water has evaporated, leaving a coating of salt on the surface that makes growing crops difficult.