Desert Ecosystems

Desert and semi-arid lands are extremely specialized and sensitive ecosystems that are easily destroyed by human activites.The species of these dry areas can live only in this specialized habibat .
The deserts and semi-arid areas are mainly located in western India and the Deccan plateau .The clinate ub these vast tracts is extremely dry.There are also cold deserts such as in Ladakh ,which are located in the high plateaus of the Himalayas.The most typical desert landscape that is seen in Rajasthan is in the Thar Desert.This has sand dunes;it also has areas covered with sparse grasses and a few shrubs,which grow if it rains.In most areas of the Thar,the rain only once every few years .In the adjoining semi-arid tract ,the vegetation consists of a few shrubs abd throny trees,such as kher and babul.
The Great and Little Rann of Kutch are extraordinarily specialized arid ecosystems .In the summers,they are similar to desert landscape.However ,as these are low-lying areas near the sea,they gert converted to salt marshers during the monsoons.During this perios they attract an enomous number of aquatic birds ,such as ducks geese,crans ,strokes,etc..The Great Rann is famous as it is the onle known breeding colony of the Greater and Lessar Flamingous in India.