Aravalli Hills

The Aravalli range is considered
the “lungs” of the polluted
National Capital Region. The
failure of Haryana and Rajasthan
governments to rein in the miners
despite the Supreme Court’s orders
to preserve the hills, has resulted
in severe degradation of the hills,
causing many of them to vanish.

Study area consists of the alluvial plains of Kothari River, which is the tributary of Banas and situated in Eastern Rajasthan Upland. The area surrounded by Aravalli hills where sand constituted the major part of the soil. This study is concerned with the relationship of the soil moisture retention and release properties with irrigation scheduling and land use plan along with their texture, particularly the clay and silt fraction. Twelve pedons representing various topographic positions and zone of rainfall were sampled to study the soil-plant-water relationship in alluvial soils. viz., upper rolling plains, middle sloping plains, lower plains. Soil moisture retention characteristics explained that the soils of the upper rolling plains have capacity to retain low amount of plant available water (AWC 7.31cm/m) as compared to the soils of middle sloping plain (AWC 12.87 cm/m) and lower plain (AWC 14.02 cm/m). Volumetric water content at different suction pressures viz. 33, 100, 500, 800, 1000, 1200 and 1500 kPa were studied in the alluvia of the river. About 75 percent of available water found to be released below the suction pressure of 500 kPa. The amount of available moisture for plant between 33 to 100 kPa was 59, 55 and 51 per cent while between 100 to 500 kPa it was 16, 20 and 22 per cent in upper rolling plains, middle sloping plains and lower plains, respectively. Silt and clay fractions were found to be the major factor controlling the available moisture. Coefficient of variation in moisture retention was noted from moderate (15–35%) to high (>35%) magnitude within the plains. In present investigation moisture retention of soils depleted to about 50 per cent at 100 kPa suction pressure so that irrigation should be delivered to replenish the soil moisture storage at this stage to keep target of maximum economic yield.

Shakambhari Conservation Reserve is a new established conservation reserve of Rajasthan. It is situated in Sikar and Jhunjhunu both districts. The present research study was carried out by interviews and conversations with local people of the reserve who are living in and around of the Reserve. This ethno-botanical survey was conducted during 2015-2017. Total herbal medicinal plant species is 61 (36 family and 60 genera) which are used to cure about 31 types of ailments by local people. These medicinal plant species belong to Angiosperm (out of 53 species 31 dicotyledonous and 6 monocotyledonous which includes four families) and 2 species (1 family) are Fern. The dominant family is Fabaceae with 8 species followed by Malvaceae family with 4 species. In recent years, traditional knowledge is fast eroding. It is urgent need to record and documentation all the information related to traditional medicinal knowledge.

Sloth bear is amongst the four bear species found in India, mostly occurring in the lowland forests with patchy distribution throughout its range. The habitat is highly fragmented in Gujarat state of western India, restricting the natural dispersal of bears within the landscape. During our regular field survey, we found an evidence of sloth bear presence in an area where it was not reported since last few decades. The area is located between two forest patches with dry deciduous vegetation where the recent record of sloth bear indicates that this area can be a potential corridor for sloth bear dispersal and needs further monitoring and conservation.