85. Natural Vegetation, Wildlife, Biodiversity of Rajasthan — Full Notes

CORE Key Points at a Glance

1. 1

   Rajasthan has recorded forest area of 33,014 sq km (9.64% of geographic area), but actual forest cover per ISFR 2023 is only 16,548.21 sq km (4.84%) — among the lowest of large states.

2. 2

   Forest type composition: Tropical Thorn Forest ~65%, Tropical Dry Deciduous ~30%, Subtropical Hill ~5% — reflecting arid climate dominance.

3. 3

   Khejri (Prosopis cineraria, खेजड़ी) is Rajasthan's state tree; Rohida (Tecomella undulata, रोहिड़ा) is the state flower; Great Indian Bustard (गोडावण) is the state bird; Chinkara (चिंकारा) is the state animal.

4. 4

   Rajasthan has 3 National Parks, 26 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 3 Tiger Reserves (Ranthambhore, Sariska, Mukundra Hills).

5. 5

   Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur) holds dual designation: Ramsar Wetland (1981) + UNESCO World Heritage Site (1985).

6. 6

   Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (Sawai Madhopur) had 88 tigers as of the 2022 All-India Tiger Census — one of the densest tiger populations per unit area in India (Jim Corbett had 260 tigers but is far larger in area).

7. 7

   Desert National Park (Jaisalmer–Barmer, 3,162 sq km) is India's largest national park in mainland India (Hemis NP in Ladakh UT is ~4,400 sq km) and the primary habitat of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard.

8. 8

   The Bishnoi community's Khejarli massacre (1730) — 363 lives lost defending Khejri trees on the order of Amrita Devi — is the world's first recorded tree-protection martyrdom, inspiring the Chipko movement.

9. 9

   Aravalli Biodiversity Corridor links Sariska–Ranthambhore, providing wildlife passage across 800+ km of fragmented habitat across Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.

10. 10

    Supreme Court (CWC) order (April 2021) directed removal of overhead power lines around GIB habitat and mandated underground cabling to reduce collision deaths.

11. 11

    CRESEP project (JICA-funded, ₹1,774.30 crore) covers 19 districts focusing on Great Indian Bustard conservation and Oran (sacred grove, ओरण) conservation of 10,000 hectares in western Rajasthan.

12. 12

    Rajasthan Forestry & Biodiversity Development Project (AFD-funded, ₹1,693.91 crore) works across 13 districts, 800 villages over 8 years; ₹139.66 crore spent up to December 2024.

13. 13

    Tree plantation 2024-25: 1,18,369.29 hectares planted (147.41% of target); 578.67 lakh seedlings; Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign contributed 5.62 crore saplings against a 3-crore target.

14. 14

    VFPMC/EDC network: 6,508 Van Forest Protection and Management Committees (वन वन्यजीव प्रबंध समितियाँ) protecting 14.94 lakh hectares; 770 Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) around protected areas.

15. 15

    Khejri Bachao Andolan (February 2026): Mass mobilization in Jodhpur, Barmer, and Nagaur against illegal felling for infrastructure projects, recalling the 1730 Bishnoi heritage. / खेजड़ी बचाओ आंदोलन (फरवरी 2026): बुनियादी ढाँचा परियोजनाओं के लिए अवैध कटाई के विरुद्ध जोधपुर, बाड़मेर, नागौर में जन आंदोलन।