Thar Desert

• Hot deserts have lower levels of biodiversity than other Global biomes
• This is due to the lack of precipitation which tends to occur only for very short periods when it does rain and the extremely high temperatures
• Xerophytic plants


  Plants that can adapt their features to suit the Arid environment
• Adaptations of desert plants


  • Thick waxy cuticles that reduce transpiration
  • Dropping leaves to prevent further water loss
  • Short wide trunks to store water
  • Thick bark to be fire resistant
  • Most biomass below surface where temperatures are cooler
  • Storing water in tissue (succulent)
  • Spikes to stop animals eating them
  • Horizontal root systems to get more water
  • Long tap roots to reach groundwater
• Ephemeral plants


  Plants that can change their behavior to suit environmental conditions, e.g. lie dormant for years but germinate quickly after rain
• Adaptations of desert animals

  • Nocturnal and spend days underground in burrows
  • Waterproof skin to retain water
  • Get water from food, not drinking
  • Minimal water loss through urination
  • Thick fur to protect from heat
  • Large ears for heat loss
  • Store fat in humps for food
  • Concentrated urine and feces to reduce water loss
  • Two pairs of eyelashes to protect eyes
  • Stretchy nostrils that can close in sandstorms
  • Long legs to keep body off hot sand and travel long distances
  • Web feet to avoid sinking in sand
  • Light wooly coat to reflect sun and insulate
• There are many species of animals who have adapted to survive the Hostile hot desert environment
• Desert animals


  • Kangaroo rat
  • Fennec fox
  • Camel
• The tar desert stretches across North West India and into Pakistan, covering approximately 200 square kilometers
• The tar desert is the most densely populated desert in the world
• Tar desert


  • Offers many opportunities for economic developments
• Economic opportunities in the tar desert

  • Mineral extraction
  • Energy development
  • Farming
  • Tourism
• Mineral extraction


  The tar desert has an abundance of minerals including gypsum, feldspar, phosphorite, kaolin, limestone, and marble
• Energy development


  Large oil field, extensive lignite coal deposits, potential for renewable energy production (wind and solar)
• Farming in the tar desert

  1. Subsistence farming (grazing animals, growing vegetables and fruit trees)

  2. Commercial farming (wheat, cotton, pulses, sesame, maize) enabled by the Indira Gandhi Canal
• Tourism


  Popular for camel safaris, desert festivals, generating a multiplier effect for the local economy
• The tar desert has amazing scenery and is a popular tourist destination, particularly for visitors from neighbouring Pakistan and elsewhere in India
• The tar desert stretches across Northwest India and into Pakistan covering approximately 200,000 square kilometers, which is slightly smaller than the UK
• The tar desert is mostly in the Indian state of Rajasthan and it is the most densely populated desert in the world
• Harsh desert conditions


  • Make life extremely challenging for those who live there
• Extreme temperature


  Temperatures in this desert can exceed 50 degrees in the summer
• Extreme heat


  Makes life very difficult for people, animals and plants
• Extreme heat


  Leads to high rates of evaporation and water shortages in the region
• Farmers have to provide shade for their livestock such as goats and cattle to protect them from the high levels of insulation during the day
• Water supply in the tar desert

  • Significant issues due to population growth, increased farming and industrial needs, lack of precipitation, extreme heat and strong winds leading to high evaporation rates
• Water sources in the tar desert

  • Ponds (natural tobus or man-made johads)
  • Rivers and streams (not permanent)
  • Aquifers (high salt content)
• Accessibility in the tar desert

  • Extremely difficult due to extreme weather and vast barren areas, making it hard to develop a decent road network
  • Most places can only be accessed by traditional forms of transport such as camels
  • Public transport is in the form of extremely overladen and dangerous buses