Thar Desert Research Articles

First Record of <i>Eryx sistanensis</i> (Squamata, Boidae) from Pakistan and Evaluation of Potential Threats of the Species

We present the first record of Eryx sistanensis from Pakistan. The field surveys yielded ten specimens of E. sistanensis, collected from four different micro-habitats within 20 GPS localities for the distribution of E. sistanensis in the Cholistan Desert. The Cholistan Desert is part of the Great Indian Desert, including the Thar Desert in the Pakistani Province of Sindh and the Rajasthan Desert in India. It spans approximately 480 km in length and varies in width from 32 to 192 km Human causes, road construction, snake charmers, poaching, and Cholistan Desert jeep rallies were observed as potential threats to the species in the study area. This species exhibits a close morphological resemblance to the Indian sand boa, E. johnii. Morphologically, E. sistanensis can be distinguished from E. johnii by its fewer dorsal scale rows in the mid-body region, lower body weight, smaller body size, and non-blunt tail tip. Specifically, E. sistanensis exhibits 44 – 55 dorsal scale rows at the mid-body (DSR-M), whereas E. johnii possesses 47 – 67 rows. The average measurements of E. sistanensis in Pakistan include a snout-to-vent length of 306.9 ± 51.60 mm, a tail length of 125.9 ± 21.48 mm, a body width of 21.0 ± 1.71 mm, and a total length of 452.3 ± 45.72 mm. The average weight is 130.3 ± 18.48 g. Our study revealed a 697 bp sequence for E. sistanensis, while the Iranian clade of E. sistanensis comprised 627 bp and the Indian clade of E. johnii comprised 648 bp. Phylogenetic analysis using Maximum-Likelihood and Neighbor-Joining trees demonstrated similar relationships between the Iranian and Pakistani clades of E. sistanensis. Eryx johnii was identified as an outgroup in both trees. The uncorrected pairwise genetic differences (p-distance) as Pakistan clade is 0.009 while for Iran clade it 0.0097 indicated a closer relationship between the studied species and the Iranian clade of E. sistanensis than with E. johnii.

Identification of a drought stress response module in tomato plants commonly induced by fungal endophytes that confer increased drought tolerance

Global climate change exacerbates abiotic stresses, as drought, heat, and salt stresses are anticipated to increase significantly in the coming years. Plants coexist with a diverse range of microorganisms. Multiple inter-organismic relationships are known to confer benefits to plants, including growth promotion and enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses. In this study, we investigated the mutualistic interactions between three fungal endophytes originally isolated from distinct arid environments and an agronomically relevant crop, Solanum lycopersicum. We demonstrated a significant increase in shoot biomass under drought conditions in co-cultivation with Penicillium chrysogenum isolated from Antarctica, Penicillium minioluteum isolated from the Atacama Desert, Chile, and Serendipita indica isolated from the Thar Desert, India. To elucidate plant gene modules commonly induced by the different endophytes that could explain the observed drought tolerance effect in tomato, a comprehensive transcriptomics analysis was conducted. This analysis led to the identification of a shared gene module in the fungus-infected tomato plants. Within this module, gene network analysis enabled us to identify genes related to abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, ABA transport, auxin signaling, ion homeostasis, proline biosynthesis, and jasmonic acid signaling, providing insights into the molecular basis of drought tolerance commonly mediated by fungal endophytes. Our findings highlight a conserved response in the mutualistic interactions between endophytic fungi isolated from unrelated environments and tomato roots, resulting in improved shoot biomass production under drought stress.

Mammalian and Avian Diversity and Lurking Threats at Guda Vishnoiyan Conservation Reserve in the Bank of Luni River, Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Objectives: This study investigates the biodiversity of Guda Vishnoiyan Conservation Reserve (GVCR), focusing on mammalian and avian diversity and their threats. Methods: The region was assessed using the line transect method for mammals and the point count method for avian fauna. Garmin eTrex GPS, Bushnell binoculars, Canon 90 D camera, and Range finder were used. The Q-GIS and Google Earth Pro were used for map development and analyzing GPS data. The PAST 4.03 and MS-Excel were used to analyze the region's diversity indices. Findings: This study recorded 114 avian species with 43 families of birds of 18 orders from the GVCR area. Passeriformes order had 40 species along with the Anatidae family consisting of 12 species in the study area, which is the maximum. The highest avian density was recorded at P7, with 93 species and 1713 individuals, while P1 exhibited the lowest dominance and highest species evenness. The Simpson Index revealed P1 as the most diverse point, while P7 had the least diversity. The area had an overall avian diversity of 667.2±137.1/sq. Km. A total of 17 species from six orders of mammals were recorded. A maximum of six species was observed from Carnivora order and the lowest with single species in Chiroptera, Lagomorpha and Insectivora. The overall mammalian density of the region is 91.1±30.68 per sq. Km. The GVCR faces severe threats from habitat degradation, invasive species such as Prosopis juliflora, feral dogs and human activities like illegal mining, stone crushing, constant vehicular disturbances, construction of boundary walls and wired fencing. Novelty: A record sighting of the winter migratory bird Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) was seen here for the first time in Jodhpur. Keywords: Guda Vishnoiyan Conservation Reserve, Threats, Luni River, Bishnoi, Thar Desert

Unveiling the Vulnerability: Mapping Desertification and Land Degradation in the Eastern fringes of the Thar Desert

This study focuses on identifying the key drivers of desertification in the Sirsa district of Haryana, India. It takes into account several factors, such as climate, soil, regional hydrology, vegetation condition, land use, available amenities, and economic conditions. Using a hierarchy-based model within a geographic information system framework, these parameters were integrated to create the Desertification-Land Degradation Vulnerability Index (DLVI). The analysis categorizes the results into five vulnerability zones-very high, high, moderate, low, and very low-based on their relative susceptibility to desertification and land degradation. The findings highlight that areas experiencing lower rainfall, higher temperatures, and greater population density with limited social amenities face a higher risk of desertification, particularly in the south-southwest and western parts of Sirsa. To validate the DLVI map, Land Degradation Status Maps are used, employing the Receiver Operating Curve and the Area Under the Curve. This validation process demonstrates an accuracy rate of 61.6%. The model-based approach, which integrates various factors encompassing the geo-environmental and socio-economic aspects, offers valuable insights for the formulation of effective mitigation strategies to combat land degradation and desertification in the future.

The Growth and Yield Response of Sesbania to Deficit Irrigation with Brackish Water in the Thar Desert

The Growth and Yield Response of Sesbania to Deficit Irrigation with Brackish Water in the Thar Desert

Traditional Water Management in the Thar Desert: The Khadeen of Rajasthan, India

The khadeen system of the Thar Desert, in Rajasthan, is an ancient technology that takes advantage of peculiar geohydrologic formations to create temporary lakes. A careful water management practice, the khadeen are an example of age-old methods of capturing and using seasonal runoff for agriculture, ensuring water access in arid regions. Khadeen have played a crucial role in supporting agricultural activities since the sixteenth century, offering impressive yields in a water-scarce environment. However, the enduring efficacy of khadeen faces contemporary threats, including mining encroachment, labor outmigration and road development. The delicate balance between preserving traditional knowledge and succumbing to external pressures poses challenges to their cultural, ecological and agricultural significance. This paper comments on the historical, hydrogeological and socioeconomic dimensions of khadeen, emphasizing the importance of their preservation in sustaining communities and ecosystems in the Thar Desert area.

Dominating Remote Source and Its Potential Contribution of Airborne Dust Over the Tibetan Plateau.

Dust particles, transported over long-distances and driven by westerly winds, dominate high-altitude (>4km) snow darkening and melting over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). A systematic assessment of their remote sources and potential contributions remains limited. In this paper, we present a novel algorithm for source-tracing of airborne dust designed to tackle the aforementioned challenges. The algorithm effectively constrains dust activity and guarantees precise tracking through using satellite and reanalysis-based estimates. The high-altitude airborne dust over the TP shows considerable spatial variation and primarily comes from the desert clusters in Central Asia, West Asia, and South Asia. The Karakum, Taklimakan, and Thar deserts are significant sources of high-altitude airborne dust in the northwest, northeast, and southwest regions of TP, with average mass loadings (mg m-2) contributing rates of 42.2% (32.9), 49.6% (48.3), and 16.4% (32.1), respectively. The results demonstrate significant differences in how adjacent deserts affect high-altitude snowmelt in the TP.

Characteristics, dynamics, and impact of the Thar Desert dust storms on air quality over northern India

Characteristics, dynamics, and impact of the Thar Desert dust storms on air quality over northern India

Shelterbelt and Windbreak Research in Arid India: A Review of Research Advances and Future Directions

Shelterbelts and windbreaks play a crucial role in enhancing agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability, particularly in arid regions where harsh climatic conditions pose significant challenges to land use. In India, where a substantial portion of the landscape is characterized by dry, aridand semi-arid conditions, the strategic implementation of windbreaks can mitigate soil erosion, reduce evaporationand enhance microclimatic conditions for crops. Globally, research in this area has gained momentum as the impacts of climate change intensify, further exacerbating the vulnerabilities of these fragile ecosystems. In India, the technology was practiced diligently to control movement of sand dunesand to stop desertification extending further from the Thar desert. By integrating native tree species and adopting region-specific management practices, studies have shown that shelterbelts/ windbreaks can significantly improve soil fertility and crop yield, while also providing habitats for biodiversity and other ecosystem services. Furthermore, the socio-economic benefits for local communities, such as improved livelihoods and resilience against climatic extremes, underline the importance of windbreak research in these regions. This review aims to synthesize existing knowledge on windbreak and shelterbelt practices in India’s arid landscapes, highlighting successful cases, trends in research and potential pathways for future research. By examining the multifaceted benefits of these ecological structures, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of their role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices and enhancing resilience in vulnerable communities and opening vistas for future research.

Climate change impact assessment of variations in temperature trends across India: a case study

ABSTRACT Extreme weather events are becoming more severe and frequent worldwide. This study employs the Mann–Kendall test and Thein-Sen estimator for analysing the mean temperature trend in India’s four densely populated metropolitan cities of New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai under representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. The trend reveals rising temperatures across four Indian regions with the change being more dominant under RCP 8.5 scenario. By the end of the twenty-first century, RCP 4.5 and 8.5 anticipate a significant rise in mean temperature of 6.0°C and 9.0°C in the Western Himalayas, 5.0°C and 7.5°C in East India and 4.0°C and 7.0°C in the Thar Desert’s south-eastern region. Spatio-temporal variation also indicated the influence of heat waves across different regions of India in the late twenty-first century. There should be relevant long-term and short-term policies to mitigate the effect of climate change and optimise the mortality rate caused by heat stress.

The Temporal Continuity: Temple, Theatre and Anthropology

Traditionally, temples have been spaces meant for religious and spiritual activities— meditation, sacrifice, devotion and worship. Historically, temples have been understood as the dwelling spaces of spirits/gods. Therefore, they were natural sites of the community socialisation and exchanges. In Hinduism, temples are designed to bring human beings and gods together in a spiritual destination. Gradually, temples evolved and represented the economy, art, belief, faith and traditions of community or communities. All of these elements of the cosmic world such as good, evil and human are incorporated in temples. Basically, these are for reflecting the powers of unknown forces that are present in nature. These elements of the cosmic world are incorporated in the temples along with the cyclic notion of time. The essence of life was represented symbolically through dharma, kama, artha, moksa and karma, and temples became naturally chosen sites to represent these aspects. However, throughout the ages, temples have undergone transformations. Due to this, temples are historical sites for understanding the historical processes and happenings around the temple structures. As time passed, temples became the surviving examples of temporal continuity. Through this article, an attempt has been made to highlight the temporal continuity around a few temples, cultures and shrines of Rajasthan. The constant—continuity and change—pushed temporality as an essential feature which needs to be highlighted for a fuller understanding of the heterogeneous nature of the Thar Desert and its society.

Machine Learning-Based Crop Suitability Prediction: An Emerging Technique for Sustainable Agricultural Production in the Desert Region of India

ABSTRACT Machine learning (ML) algorithms can be applied to predict the suitability of soil for crop cultivation based on digital soil mapping. We used three distinct models viz. Multinomial Logistic Regression (MnLR), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to predict the suitability of wheat and pearl millet in the Barmer district of the Thar Desert. After the computation of crop suitability classes, ML techniques were used to develop suitability maps of wheat and pearl millet in the study area. The study found that the RF and XGBoost models worked well to classify crop suitability. The RF model showed that 11.9% of the total area was highly suitable, 1.6% was moderately suitable, 14.9% was marginally suitable, and 71.6% was not suitable for wheat crop. RF model for pearl millet showed that 15.5% of the area is highly suitable. Soil suitability mapping for wheat showed a Kappa index ranging from 0.23 to 0.57 and an overall accuracy ranging from 0.79 to 0.86, whereas the prediction of suitability for pearl millet showed a moderate range of Kappa index from 0.31 to 0.58 and accuracy from 0.63 to 0.77. The area under curve (AUC) for wheat crop was 0.72, 0.88, and 0.91 for MnLR, RF, and XGBoost models, respectively. Overall, the RF model performed better than the MnLR model, showing a 16% increase in accuracy. Therefore, the developed suitability maps using ML provide valuable details on agricultural potential in the Indian desert region while harmonizing its impact on the environment and the economy.

GC–MS-based metabolite fingerprinting reveals the presence of novel anticancer compounds in the microcolonial fungus Aureobasidium sp. TD-062 from the under-explored Thar Desert

Aureobasidium sp., strain TD-062, a micro colonial black yeast, was obtained as part of a screening program from the Thar Desert of India, which has been inadequately explored for novel microorganisms/bioactive metabolites. The anticancer activity of aqueous and organic solvent extracts of culture supernatant of TD-062 was investigated against A-375 myeloma and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. Following column chromatography, bioactive fractions were subjected to GC–MS analysis in two cycles. The GC–MS metabolite fingerprinting revealed 20 compounds belonging to various chemical groups. Further, based on observed and calculated mass ion spectra, retention time, and retention indices, many compounds could be considered novel. The second purification cycle resulted in three compounds- ATD-1, ATD-2 and ATD-3 with different calculated retention indices from that of the nearest matching compounds, squalene and tocopherol. In silico prediction study of their ADMET profiles, suggests that these new compounds have a suitable contour for use as safe anticancer drugs, without the toxicity normally associated with anticancer compounds.

Cosmogenic 10Be‐ and 21Ne‐based model exposure ages of desert pavements in the Thar Desert, India

AbstractThe Thar Desert, India has desert pavements comprising angular‐subangular to well‐rounded gravels at marginally higher elevations than the surrounding terrain. Sedimentological and geomorphic analyses suggest that the pavements are lags of weathered Mesozoic and older bedrock. The presence of Palaeolithic artefacts on the pavement surfaces and occasionally within their matrix was used to infer their antiquity and landscape stability.This study presents the first surface exposure ages based on cosmic‐ray‐produced 10Be and 21Ne for pavements at four sites in the Thar Desert, viz. Bhojka, Hamira, Solanki and Jayal. The computation of model exposure ages assumed that (a) the gravels were derived from cemented conglomerates, uplifted by tectonics and thereafter disintegrated by climate, and (b) cosmogenic nuclide production in the gravels began when the conglomerates approached the surface and, continued during their disintegration, gravity sliding of individual gravels and storage, until the present. Assuming an average burial depth of 50 cm, 21Ne and 10Be data provide ages ranging from 1.30 to 2.92 Ma and 1.11 to 5.4 Ma, respectively, for the two nuclides.Published electron spin resonance ages of Thar calcretes suggest the presence of water and extreme seasonality since 1.54 Ma. Such conditions facilitated the mobilization and precipitation of carbonates. The pavement ages and the minimum age of the conglomerate at 2.51 Ma extend the time of such desertic conditions to > 2.51 Ma and suggest that the initiation of desertic conditions in the Thar was possibly linked to global aridity beginning around 3.6 Ma.Depending on assumptions, cosmic ray surface exposure (10Be) ages at Jayal range between 0.76 and 2.43 Ma. In the context of the Indian Palaeolithic, the presence of tools on the gravel surfaces and within dunes, suggests frequent occupation of this region from at least 0.76 Ma and, parallels Early to Middle Pleistocene Acheulian assemblages from Southern India.

Drought Assessment Using Remote Sensing Techniques in the Great Rann of Kachchh and Adjoining Areas of Thar Desert

Drought Assessment Using Remote Sensing Techniques in the Great Rann of Kachchh and Adjoining Areas of Thar Desert

Anthropogenic impacts drive habitat suitability in South Asian bats

Despite their diversity and importance as ecological indicators and ecosystem service providers, the macroecology of bats in South Asia is poorly understood, and until recently studies on the ecological niches of these species have been rare. This study analyses the ecogeographic predictors of habitat suitability in South Asian bats by conducting ensemble ecological niche modelling using four algorithms (random forests, artificial neural networks, multivariate adaptive regression splines, and maximum entropy) to define suitability envelopes for 48 selected bat species, based on topographic, hydrographic, land-use, land-cover, and other anthropogenic impact factors. Anthropogenic impact variables showed high importance with Median Night-time Light being the biggest driver of habitat suitability for most of the study species with generally lower suitability of brighter areas. Projected suitable areas for individual species covered between 6.28% and 22.98% of the study area. Regions such as the Thar desert of northwestern India were consistently identified to have low suitability. The Western Ghats in India, the Himalayas in Bhutan, northern India, and Nepal, and Sri Lanka were identified as suitability hotspots for more than half the studied species overlapping with human-impacted habitats. This study offers insight into the impacts of anthropogenic pressure on the macroecology of bats in a megadiverse region and stresses the importance of analysing ecogeographic effects on ecological niches and habitat suitability, which can be vital to inform conservation planning and policymaking in the future.

Migration as an Adaptation Measure to Achieve Resilient Lifestyle in the Face of Climate-Induced Drought: Insight from the Thar Desert in Pakistan

A significant number of people, either seasonally or permanently, migrate from the Thar Desert in Pakistan each year due to droughts caused by climate change. This study aims to investigate the determinants and consequences of these migration decisions, examine the effectiveness of migration as a climate adaptation strategy, and identify challenges in adapting to these changes. Data were gathered from 400 migrated households in the Mithi sub-district. A mixed-method approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings revealed that threats to the standard of living, including lack of food and clean drinking water, unemployment, and limited educational and medical opportunities, were the primary reasons for permanent and temporary migration from ancestral locations. Migration significantly impacted the origin and destination regions, with positive or negative effects. Specifically, migrants identified various consequences for both the origin and destination communities, including population decline (63%), changes in age structure, increased demand for housing, economic fluctuations (73%), alterations in healthcare services, and increased psychological stress (77%). The study also revealed that individuals who migrated from the Thar Desert experienced improved conditions compared to their previous location, such as diversification of income sources, increased job stability, access to clean water and food, reduced health risks, and overall improvements in their living conditions. However, the destination communities faced significant challenges due to widespread resource depletion and environmental deterioration. Migrants encountered barriers to developing resilient livelihoods in destination areas, including lack of proper knowledge and information, institutional and government issues, environmental and technological challenges, and social and cultural issues. The study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive policies and sustainable solutions to address the root causes of migration and support the resilience of vulnerable populations.

Stopover by migrant Montagu's Harriers in the Thar Desert is determined by vegetation greenness and grasshopper abundance but not locust outbreaks

Food availability is an important criterion for migrant birds' decision to stay or leave a stopover site. This can vary depending on the conditions at the site. The Thar Desert of the Indian subcontinent is a major stopover area for birds wintering further south in the region. The desert is also prone to stochastic outbreaks of desert locusts that often coincide with the stopover time of migrating birds. Between 2017 and 2022, we tracked nine tagged Montagu's Harriers (Circus pygargus) using PTT and GPS-GSM transmitters to determine if the stopover duration at stopover sites in the desert is influenced by the availability of migratory locusts or resident grasshoppers and the strategies the birds employ, such as, foraging over a wide area or multiple sites to ensure refuelling during stopover. The mean stopover duration during the 2019 peak locust outbreak was 12 days compared to 18 days in other years. Birds did not track locust occurrence deliberately and preferred to stopover at the same sites each year, irrespective of locust outbreaks. The stopover duration at stopover sites appears to be linked to arrival date, vegetation greenness (NDVI) and marginally to grasshopper abundance. We conclude that the stochastic availability of locusts at stopover sites may provide only an opportunistic source of abundant food for migrant harriers and does not seem to affect their stopover duration. Instead, they choose a more stable strategy of relying on resident grasshoppers, less prone to strong fluctuations in abundance and distribution at the stopover sites.

Morphological, hydrogeochemical and sedimentological analysis of hypersaline Sambhar Lake, India: An analog to understand evaporitic paleolake basins on Mars

In the recent decade of astrobiological exploration of the Martian surface, there has been a shift from identifying habitable environments to finding markers indicative of biological activity. It requires a prior understanding of the physical and geochemical environment of the setting to decipher whether the conditions were conducive. Generally, quiescent surroundings of lacustrine basins are considered one of the best targets for the preservation of any biological signatures. However, due to logistical limitations, the geochemical information available is mostly restricted to small areas on the surficial level (or in the subsurface in case of layered deposits or impact craters) where sufficient satellite coverage is available and, in some areas, where rovers/landers have been deployed. In this context, terrestrial lacustrine basins offer valuable insights into the environment required for the formation of the minerals observed on the Martian surface.This study was carried out within Sambhar Lake located in the arid/semiarid climatic zone within the Thar desert. It is a hypersaline playa that has undergone several cycles of desiccation and re-filling, sharing its climate-controlled history with that of several paleolakes on Mars. We conducted physicochemical analysis of the samples collected from the lake and its surrounding area and compared our results with samples from the Curiosity rover (at Gale crater) and to those of the studies carried out in basalt-rich parent settings of Iceland. Our results suggest that Sambhar Lake is a Na-Cl type brine with climate-driven hydrology. The shallow cores and rock samples indicated that the area is rich in evaporites. We propose that even the sites with different parent material may be crucial in understanding the geological evolution of paleolakes on Mars and that Sambhar is a great example to study tectono-geomorphic evolution and the climate-induced transition of a lacustrine basin to a playa. Additionally, the lake is also desirable to study extremophiles and their adaptation to changing environmental variables for future planetary missions, including but not limited to, Mars.

Monsoon control on evolution of the western Indian aeolian landscape: Insights from U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope studies of the Thar Desert sand dunes

Evolution of landscape is linked to the interplay of tectonics, lithology, and climate. To better understand the evolution of aeolian landscape of the western Indian subcontinent and its major driver/s, we carried out a quantitative provenance analysis of the sand dunes of Thar Desert and desert river Luni using whole rock Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes and detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology. Our findings show Himalayan origin for the Thar sands. River Indus consistently contributed about 30–40 % of the total dune sand across the desert. The sand dunes in the north and the west of the desert are dominated by sediments derived from the source rocks drained by Sutlej river and its tributary Beas river whereas the dunes of central Thar are dominated by sediments supplied by rocks drained by Jhelum, Ravi and Chenab rivers. Analysis of detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra of sediments from desert river Luni reveal that dune sand of southern Thar Desert forms nearly 80 % of its present-day sediment load. Notably, the Thar dune sands show remarkable compositional similarity to the early to middle Holocene Indus delta sediments suggesting shared source/s. Existing paleolimnological and climatic records suggest a wetter environment in the Thar during early to middle Holocene. This evidence coupled with compositional similarities between the Thar dunes and the Indus delta sediments from the same period, indicate a probable extension of the Indus-Sutlej floodplain into southeast Thar during that time. Subsequent aridification of the region in the late Holocene likely led to seasonal winds recycling this fluvial sand to form the present-day Thar dunes, and shaping the current aeolian landscape in western India.