GRASSLANDS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Researchers have conducted a new study in Gujarat's Kachchh district, home to one of India's largest grasslands, assessing areas in Banni for sustainable restoration, with ecological value as the primary focus.

Grasslands

• About: These are one of the largest ecosystems in the world. 
• Habitat: They are distributed mainly in semiarid and arid areas, and include savannahs, grassy shrublands, and open grasslands.
• Biodiversity: They harbour a large number of unique and iconic species and offer a variety of material and intangible advantages to people, including several ecosystem services such as carbon storage, climate mitigation, and pollination.

oAs much as 49% of grassland areas worldwide are estimated to be experiencing degradation.

• Grasslands in India: Cover approximately eight lakh sq. km, accounting for about 24% of the country's total land area.
• Threatened by: Agricultural conversion, tree-based plantation projects, invasive species, and mega-development projects.
• Banni Grasslands: The Kachchh district in Gujarat houses one of India's largest grassland tracts, known as 'Banni', which has reduced in size from approximately 3,800 sq. km to about 2,600 sq. km.

Key Highlights of Study

• Categorization: The prospective restoration zones were grouped into five categories based on suitability for restoration.
• Highly Suitable Areas: 36% of the grassland was classified as “highly suitable” for restoration.
• Suitable Areas: 28% was found to be “suitable” for restoration efforts.
• Moderately Suitable Areas: 27% was identified as “moderately suitable” for grassland expansion.
• Marginally Suitable Areas: 7% was labeled as “marginally suitable” for restoration, requiring additional interventions.
• Not Suitable Areas: 2% was determined as “not suitable” for restoration, needing significant management efforts.
• Recommendations: Interventions like terracing, fertilizers, and protection from water run-off and salt intrusion were recommended for the “marginally suitable” and “not suitable” zones.