Aspirant Academy

Geography

Model Answer Frameworks

Natural Vegetation, Wildlife, Biodiversity of Rajasthan

Paper II · Unit 3 Section 10 of 14 0 PYQs 44 min
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Model Answer Frameworks

5-Mark Answer Template A (50 words)

Question: Write a brief note on the Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) and its conservation status.

Model Answer:

The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) — Rajasthan's state bird — is Critically Endangered with fewer than 150 individuals globally, 90–100 in Rajasthan. Primary threats: power line collisions and habitat loss to solar/wind farms. The Supreme Court (2021) ordered underground cabling near Desert National Park. CRESEP (JICA, ₹1,774 crore) supports habitat restoration.

Word count: ~50 | Word budget: Identification+status (15) + Threats (15) + SC order (10) + Program (10)

5-Mark Answer Template B (50 words)

Question: What was the Khejarli massacre of 1730? What was its significance for environmental conservation?

Model Answer:

In 1730, Amrita Devi Bishnoi led 363 Bishnois from 83 villages to protect Khejri trees from the Jodhpur Maharaja's officials; all were killed. The world's first documented tree-protection martyrdom, it inspired the Chipko Movement (1970s). The Maharaja subsequently issued a decree (farman) permanently protecting trees and wildlife on Bishnoi land.

Word count: ~50 | Word budget: Event (15) + Deaths (10) + Significance (15) + Outcome (10)

10-Mark Answer Template (150 words)

Question: Describe the types of natural vegetation found in Rajasthan, their geographic distribution, and the factors responsible for their distribution.

Model Answer:

Introduction: Rajasthan's vegetation, shaped by extreme aridity, is dominated by drought-adapted species concentrated in three forest types.

Key Points:

  1. Tropical Thorn Forest (~65%): Western Rajasthan (Thar Desert, Marwar plains); rainfall <400 mm; key species: Khejri (Prosopis cineraria), Rohida, Kair, Phog; adapted to sand, heat, and drought. Khejri alone covers ~4.5 million hectares.

  2. Tropical Dry Deciduous (~30%): Eastern Rajasthan, Aravalli eastern slopes, Chambal valley; rainfall 500–1,000 mm; key species: Dhok (Anogeissus pendula), Salar, Kardhai; habitat for tigers (Ranthambhore) and leopards.

  3. Subtropical Hill Forest (~5%): Southern Aravalli above 1,000 m elevation (Mt. Abu, Phulwari ki Nal); includes semi-evergreen species like wild mango and Arjun; a biodiversity island with 700+ plant species.

  4. Determinants: Rainfall gradient (west to east: 100 mm to 900 mm), soil type (sandy-alluvial in west, rocky-loamy in east), and altitude (Aravalli elevation up to 1,722 m at Guru Shikhar) together explain vegetation zonation.

Conclusion: Rajasthan's low actual forest cover (4.84%, ISFR 2023) despite being India's largest state reflects extreme aridity; conservation requires both protected area management and community participation through institutions like Bishnoi Orans and VFPMC networks.

Word count: ~155 words

10-Mark Answer Template B (150 words)

Question: Examine the conservation challenges facing the Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan and evaluate the measures taken for its protection.

Model Answer:

Introduction: The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), Rajasthan's state bird, faces functional extinction with fewer than 150 globally.

Key Points:

  1. Power line collisions: GIB flies at <30 m altitude, cannot detect overhead cables; estimated 8–10 birds die annually from collisions; Supreme Court (April 2021) mandated underground cabling in 10,000 sq km Priority Area across Rajasthan and Gujarat.

  2. Habitat degradation: Solar/wind energy expansion in Jaisalmer-Barmer (India's largest renewable energy zone) fragments Sevan grasslands; Prosopis juliflora invasion degrades open habitat GIB requires for nesting.

  3. Low reproductive rate: One egg per nest per year; no recovery buffer for mortality spikes; captive breeding (WII + IFHC at Sudasari, Jaisalmer) hatched 3 eggs in 2024 — critical but fragile progress.

  4. CRESEP measures: JICA-funded ₹1,774.30 crore across 19 districts; Sevan grass restoration, Oran conservation (10,000 ha), 160 Biodiversity Management Committees strengthened.

Conclusion: GIB recovery demands resolving the fundamental conflict between India's renewable energy targets and desert ecosystem conservation — a policy challenge that RPSC 2026 is likely to test analytically.

Word count: ~150 words