The revival model for common property reserves in the thar desert of Rajasthan with special reference to their faunal components

Abstract

Conservation threats such as poaching and change in land-use pattern have fragmented wildlife habitat to such an extent that, nowadays, the distribution map of animal-loving human communities has become the distribution map of wild animals. Oran(the term for common property in Rajasthan) is an age-old system of creating common property reserves at village level for sustainable use of wild fauna and flora even before enactment of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006. This chapter signifies the revival and management of wasteland, orans, and gauchersfor the success of any conservation program in the Thar desert because it offers habitat favorable for abundance of native fauna like Chinkara (Gazella bennettii), Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Desert Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Desert Cat (Felis silvestris). According to one of the studies (KRAPAVIS), there are about 1,100 major oransspread out in an area of more than 100,000 ha in this region. The issue of revival and management of orans, gauchers, and wasteland which requires understanding of micro-, meso-, and macrofauna of soil, the resident species of fauna, their dietary habits, and food preferences and the identification of plant species with high moisture contents have been discussed. Non-vegetative requirements and man-animal relations have been shown to be the vital aspects for the successful and continued survival of fauna in these common property reserves.