Desert National Park

Desert National Park

Desert National Park is a stunning location in the state of Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district. One of India's main national parks is the Desert National Park. The Desert National Park is also a designated wildlife sanctuary.
 
DESERT NATIONAL PARK
The National Park covers a total area of around 3162 km2. Since the desert is such a harsh environment for life to thrive, much of the fauna and flora survive on the edge.
The great Indian Bustard is a beautiful bird that can be seen in this park in large numbers. It migrates locally at various times of the year. The area is a haven for desert migratory and resident birds.
 
Desert National Park is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. It is the only natural habitat for the Rajasthan State Bird (Great Indian Bustard), State Animal (Camel), State Tree (Khejri), and State Flower (Rohida).
 
 
FACTS ABOUT DESERT NATIONAL PARK
•    The Thar Desert, located in northwestern India, is a one-of-a-kind ecosystem on the Indian subcontinent. The Thar desert's eastern boundary is characterised by the Aravalli hills, while the western boundary is defined by the fertile Indus plains. 
•    The Great Rann of Kutch forms a sharp border in the south, while the riparian sub-Himalayan plains form the northern limit. 
•    The Desert National Park (DNP) spans a total area of 3162 km2, with 1900 km2 in Jaisalmer and the remaining 1262 km2 in Rajasthan's Barmer district. 
•    The area is in the country's very low rainfall zone (less than 100mm) and is extremely hot and arid. In the year 1980, DNP was gazetted.
•    The majority of the Thar's arid region's vegetation is classified as thorn forest. Local communities, especially the 'Bishnois,' revere and protect Khejri Prosopis cineraria, which is commonly found. 
•    DNP has sparse vegetation, with open grassland, throny bushes, plantations, and dunes as the main habitat types. 
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•    A total of 168 plant species from 48 families have been identified in this region (Pandey et al. 1985).
•    Tree species includes Commiphora wightii, Acacia spp., Dipcadi erythraem, Enneatogon, Glossonema varians, Helitropium rariflorum, Limeum indicum, Tecomella undulata brachystachyus Moringa concanensis, Rhynchosia schimpari, Seddera latifolia, Sesuvium sesuvio etc.
•    With an endless expanse of sand, sand dunes, broken rock formations, and an interesting variety of unique flora and fauna, DNP is a stunning representative of the desert environment of outstanding elegance.
•    The Wood Fossil Park in Akal (Jaisalmer district) contains important Jurassic-era fossils.
 
DESERT NATIONAL PARK
 
GREAT INDIAN BUSTARDS
•    The Great Indian Bustard, which was once a candidate for being India's national bird, is now on the verge of extinction.
•    It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and in Appendix I of CITES (2002-2016).
•    It has been listed as one of the species for recovery under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.
•    Historically, the great Indian bustard was found in 11 states throughout Western India, as well as parts of Pakistan. The Thar desert in the north-west and the Deccan plateau in the peninsula were once its strongholds.
•    Its current range is primarily restricted to Rajasthan (where it is the state bird) and Gujarat. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh have small populations.
•    One of the most important habitats for the Great Indian Bustard is Rajasthan's Desert National Park.
•    The bustard's natural habitat is the sewan grassland landscape. For years, the bustard, locally known as godawan, thrived in these grasslands, but much of it has been lost to agriculture and other human activities.
•    The Rajasthan government initiated Project Great Indian Bustard in 2013, with the aim of building breeding enclosures and improving infrastructure to minimise human pressure on the species' habitats.

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