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Restoration Of Banni Grassland

GS Paper III- Conservation, Environmental Pollution, degradation

Why in the news?

 In a recent study, scientists from Bhuj evaluated whether parts of Banni are suitable for sustainable grassland restoration, with the main criterion being ecological value.

Highlights of the study:

Objective: KSKV Kachchh University researchers studied the potential of various Banni locations for sustainable grassland restoration, with ecological value as the main criterion.

Restoration needed: The Banni grasslands, which formerly covered over 3,800 square kilometers, are now roughly 2,600 square kilometers.

  • Restoration Zone Categories: Based on the grassland’s suitability for restoration, the researchers classified it into five categories:
  •  Highly Suitable: 937 sq. km (36%).
  •  Suitable: 728 sq. km (28%).
  •  Reasonably Suitable: 714 sq km (27%).
  •  Marginally Suitable: 182 sq km (7%)
  •  Unsuitable: 61 sq. km (2%)

Restoration Potential: By providing sufficient water sources, the “highly suitable” and “suitable” zones, which comprise about two-thirds of the Banni grasslands, can be readily restored.

About Banni Grasslands :

  • The 3,847 square kilometre Banni Grassland is a salt-tolerant ecosystem located in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
  • It’s regarded to be the largest grassland in Asia.
  • The region experiences extremely hot summers (over 45°C) and mild winters (12°C to 25°C), with 300–400 mm of annual rainfall, mostly during the monsoon. The region is classified as semi-arid.
  • It is home to pastoral communities such as the Maldharis, who make their living from the grazing of cattle, buffalo, and sheep.
  • The Banni Grasslands include the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and the Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve.
  • Flora: Prosopis Juliflora, Cressa critica, Cyperus spp., Sporobolus, Dichanthium, and Aristida make up the majority of the vegetation in this area.
    Fauna: It is home to a variety of species, including the Asian Wildcat, Caracal, Nilgai, Chinkara, Blackbuck, Wild Boar, Golden Jackal, and Desert Fox.
  • Ecological benefits: They are home to many rare and iconic species and provide humans with a range of tangible and intangible benefits, including a multitude of ecosystem services like pollination, carbon storage, and climate mitigation.
    • Threats: Deforestation, excessive grazing, agriculture, urbanization, and other natural and man-made factors are contributing to their degradation. According to estimates, up to 49% of grassland areas globally are degrading.
    •Grasslands make up nearly eight lakh square kilometres, or almost 24% of India’s total land area (32.8 lakh sq. km).

[2021] The vegetation of Savannah consists of grassland with scattered small trees, but extensive areas have no trees. The forest development in such areas is generally kept in check by one or more or a combination of some conditions. Which of the following are such conditions?​

  1. Burrowing animals and termites​
  2. Fire​
  3. Grazing herbivores​
  4. Seasonal rainfall​
  5. Soil properties​

Select the correct answer using the code given below.​

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 4 and 5​

(c) 2, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 3 and 5​

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